Picking Up The Pieces
by Miss Comatose
Summary: Usagi's life was as good as any; until that night...when Mamoru seemed to die defending her. Now that her scouts have abandoned her, Usagi is left to pick up the pieces alone. With a hard future ahead, she hardens her heart, learning who she can trust and who is still out to betray her. With her eyesight evolving, Usagi goes blind, presenting unforseen challenges and new allies.
1. Chapter 1: Rain

**Intro**

Welcome to my newest fanfiction! It takes place somewhere around episode 15 of the Japanese version and a little bit after that, but Jadeite never got defeated. I'm debating between naming my chapters or not, but I most likely will. Thank you to all those reading this and I hope a ton of you guys review! If you can read my other fics to, but I get it if you can't thanks! And don't anyone ever forget, I don't own Sailor Moon!

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><p>Chapter 1: Rain<p>

It began normally. It was late at night and it was raining, not so unoriginal, but still annoying. The usual youma was attacking at the park. I geared up, changing into the typical Sailor Moon garb. Sweet Selene, okay I love this costume so much, it's so cute, but it makes me feel like a whore. Like I really want to show that much leg? No Thank You! Ever had to jump over an entire city with everyone looking up at you? No? Well let's just say, you don't want every guy looking at everything you've got under there. And let me just say, it sucks when it rains, like right then for instance. But you can't really argue that with the universal costume designer, whoever it is.

Anyways, I was leaping over half of Tokyo, headed to battle. I leapt through the air, marveling at the feel of the wind whipping by my face when I was thrown from my thoughts in the form of dropping from a three story building. I flipped, landing on the pavement down below, amidst a sea of admirers, who were trying to watch and get out of the rain at the same time. Losing battle right there. I glared at the youma who had positioned itself above on the top of a nearby building. It shot out beams of destructive energy, purely for chaos's sake. I leapt up, avoiding them, and shot at the bear like creature. Sweet Selene, that thing was ugly.

I shouted out my attack. "Sailor Moon Kick!" Dorkiest attack ever, but still effective. I spun around and dusted the youma with my tiara. I must have been really unlucky in the karma department because while Rei gets fire which is really cool, I get a tiara. A stinking Frisbee! I Frisbee people to death! I am the very picture of intimidation! No wonder the youma always attack me.

So after that annoying and time consuming encounter, I reached the battle field. The park… How original. Then my blood ran cold. Floating above the battlefield was Jadeite. He laughed maniacally as the scouts leapt around, trying to stop the youma, some sort of plant demon. "Moon Tiara Action!" It had turned to dust before its poorly patched together body hit the ground. The girls turned towards me, pissed at my tardiness. I gaped, I hadn't meant to be attacked, it just happened!

Jadeite smiled as he swooped forward. He strode towards me. I couldn't move, his eyes so hypnotic before me. He stalked me, a cat before its prey. I couldn't help but recall the first line of an old poem.

"_Will you walk into my parlour" said the spider to the fly._

I blinked, breaking away from his hypnotism. I gasped in air, realizing I hadn't been breathing and from the concerned looks of my senshi, except for Rei, who was glaring, it had been for a while. I collapsed to my knees, needing some sort of support for a couple of seconds. At least until my Lunarian blood could heal me.

"Now I've you got you right where I want you Sailor Moon!" He readied a beam of dark energy at me. _This is the end_ I thought. I heard the shot go off with a crackle like Mako-chan's thunder, but I didn't feel any pain. I opened my eyes and saw the hero in front of me taking the blast for me. _Not Tuxedo Kamen! Anyone, Anyone, but him!_

"Run, Sailor Moon!" Those were the last words he uttered as I stared at him. But I couldn't run. I couldn't flee from the arms of my protector. I shoved him to the side and endured the rest of the lethal blast myself. It hit me like a ton of bricks, driving me back a couple of steps. God, I was so much weaker than him. He'd stood there, resolute, while I was being shoved backwards. The darkness finally ended and I fell to me knees next to Tuxedo Kamen, who was down on the pavement next to me. My tiring eyes flew wide with shock as he detransformed. I shook him, hoping I had endured enough so that he didn't die. He couldn't die! "Mamoru! No! Mamoru-baka, you can't die! Mamoru!" Rei ran over towards us, tears adorning her fierce, violet eyes. I put a hand on her shoulder. "Rei-chan…" She slapped my hand away with such force it broke one of my fingers. But I was so hurt already that I barely noticed.

"You've done enough! You killed him! Mamo-chan, please don't die! You can't die! We need you! I need you! Please Mamoru, I love you! Mamoru!" Rei cried over the broken body over her boyfriend. Minako came and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. For the moment, Jadeite was forgotten and he planned to stay that way. He had eliminated our most powerful protector. Getting rid of us would be easy now.

"Have fun with your corpse, Rei!" Jadeite disappeared in smoke and Rei turned her furious blazing eyes to me.

"This is all your fault! Because you can't protect yourself, he sacrificed himself! Because you were late, he was already weak from fighting that youma! Where the hell were you by the way?" I started to answer, but Rei cut me off. Her face swam in and out of blurriness. My body couldn't take much more of this. "Like it even matters! You were probably off playing video games or pigging out like usual! Or you probably fell from a building considering how clumsy you are! It's all your fault! And now Jadeite knows my identity because you had to shoot off your damn mouth! Can't you do anything useful? You're always a burden to the team and we always just have to protect you! You're absolutely useless! GET LOST! We don't want you anymore!"

Ami became the voice of reason. "Rei, you have to be sensible. You just lost… _him_. You aren't thinking straight. And remember, Usagi isn't entirely useless. We still need her to dust the youma. We can't get rid of her." They were talking as if I wasn't even there. I couldn't help but note the facts that it sounded like this conversation had happened a lot and that Ami didn't deny that I was clumsy or stupid or…

Rei turned hateful eyes to me. "Fine, we'll keep her, but I won't work with her." Rei got up, glaring all the while at me. I stepped back as if walking on a bed of hot coals…

And then I fled, from the scouts, from Mamoru's corpse, from the scorched battlefield, from my so called destiny as the heroine of Tokyo. My feet carried me as far from that spot where everything had frozen over as they could and that's pretty far considering who I am. Finally, I fell, pain singing through every bone of my body. I twisted onto my back to watch the sky rain down upon me, soaking me with the tears for its fallen senshi. I laid on the pavement, much like the one where Mamoru laid. I refused, or I tried not to think about him and the vacant stare in his eyes. He couldn't be dead. Tears dragged themselves from my eyes, adding to the rain-splotched cement. He had died to save me, but I knew I wasn't worth it. My broach exploded against my chest cascading down upon me in a wave of pink ribbons. They clung to my figure as the rain soaked them through as well, crying for its lost senshi.

And then someone found me. He must have thought I was dead from the way he just stood and gawked. I twitched my head, with whatever energy I had left, to let them know I was alive. As soon as I did, there seemed to be a universal sigh of relief. He picked up my mostly naked body and carried me close to his warm heart, trying to keep me warm. Despite that, my head hung limply down over the edge of their arm and I watched the dry spot where I'd laid gently retreat with the rolling of his stride as he ran.

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><p>Light enveloped me like the heat from a blanket. My weary eyes opened again, trying to comprehend where I was. I was gently being switched from one set of arms to another, more sterile set. I gripped the arm of the man leaving, I knew who he was. Motoki. I couldn't let him leave. I had to tell him about… Mamoru. My dry eyes somehow found the water to cry because I managed to start sobbing, there in the arms of some unknown doctor. "Motoki?" It escaped somehow between the sobs that racked the frame of my suspended form.<p>

He seemed surprised. "Usagi? Usagi, is that you?" I finally realized that he didn't recognize me. My hair must have slipped out of its odangoes. No one seemed to recognize me without my signature hairstyle.

Somehow my cold blue lips found the energy to say, "Motoki, go to the park and find his body." My voice cracked when I mentioned him, even when I didn't put a name to him. Maybe Motoki didn't know, but I did. I knew all too well. "Next to the lake. It should still be there. She couldn't dare to touch it. They'll have left it there. Tell him goodbye for me. Tell him thank you." I let my hand slip off his grey jacket and swing like a pendulum in the warm air of the hospital.

"Who? Usagi, who is it?" Motoki pressed, trying to understand. But no one could understand. No one could understand the pain and the heartache that had worked itself into the very core of my being. I was at a loss, a child without its parent, a princess without her protector. I let my head droop over this unfortunate man's arm. I couldn't look at Motoki's heartbroken face when I told him.

"Mamoru." It came out as a whisper, barely slipping off my tongue into the world of the living. And then I slipped off the edges of unconsciousness and jumped into the dark sea of oblivion waiting for me.


	2. Chapter 2: Lifeless

Okay, hello to all my readers! I would just like to say thank you first of all for reading because the fact that you bothered to read this makes me feel special. Now, thank you to _Become's one with the story_ and _Starrlight1812_ for reviewing. Thanks for the encouragement you guys! It's always appreciated! Thank you also to _Chacaya_, _Starrlight1812_, _laurrac2110_, and _Become's one with the story_ for adding Picking Up The Pieces to their Story Alerts! And thank you to _Dunk234_ for adding this story to your Favorite Story list! And after 1 chapter too! Thank you all so much!

So please remember to read, review, and t'ake the poll on my profile. Thanks and enjoy!

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I stared listlessly at the wall. What was the point? What did I still have to gain from this pitiful existence I called life? Life had no more meaning to me. I had let reflex take over and simply let my mind wander in the empty reaches of my mind. The doctors around me were growing worried. I heard them talking when they thought I wasn't listening. They were worried for me, but that just filled my heart with confusion. Why did they fear for the life that wasn't theirs? Especially when I didn't want this life.

Especially because I didn't want it, but I couldn't give it up. I was filled with a sense of duty to protect the people of Tokyo. So I gently turned my head to the side, ignoring the incessant chatter of the latest doctor. I would talk to someone later, but not now. Maybe when Motoki came back. Maybe…

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><p>~Brent's POV~<p>

That young man had brought her in, but he'd run off before I could get her name. She was obviously a minor and she had to be living with someone, but until we could identify her, we couldn't notify her parents or guardians. I had been the first to talk to her, but she wouldn't respond to me. No one could get her to respond. She would just look at us and then turn back to the wall. She understood, but she didn't want to talk. We still couldn't figure out what had happened to her.

And she was still lying there, pink ribbons and all. I couldn't figure out how to get the broach off of her, being her designated doctor. I'd tried to cut the ribbons, but when I'd brought the scissors down on the delicate fabric, she screamed bloody murder. She yanked them out of my hand and ran a finger over the damaged fabric. It seemed to be connected to her somehow. Who was this girl?

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><p>~Motoki's POV~<p>

I froze, my blood stopping within my veins. "No…" I rushed up to the dark figure, abandoned by the pond. Black hair was slicked to the ground by the rain pounding down upon his still face. "No, Mamoru! Mamoru!" I checked his pulse and for a second I thought it was dead before I felt a slight stirring beneath my fingers. I sighed, my breath visible in the night. I put my ear to his chest. A shallow rare breath reared up within his chest.

I loaded him onto my back. I had to get him to the hospital. I'd thought I'd been finished, but then I came back with another body in my arms, bigger and bulkier; surprising myself and the entire clinic. The doctors got a gurney this time, they couldn't hoist him on their own without injuring him. As it is, I'd probably hurt him more. I probably should have called an ambulance, but I was so worried for him already. They laid him down on the green gurney and inspected him. I finally spoke. "He's got a pulse, but it's weak. His chest is barely moving, but he's breathing." They nodded and wheeled him away to get a better analysis.

A young, petite nurse came up to me. "Excuse me sir." I wheeled around to see the brunette behind me. "Can I please get your name and contact information?" I willingly signed the forms. "And sir, if you'll excuse me, but what is the name of the girl you brought in a while ago? We're looking for her contact information and family otherwise."

"Her name's Usagi Tsukino. She lives with her mother, father, and brother. Would you like me to notify them of her location? They must be worried sick. How is she by the way?" The color drained from her face, but the brunette silently showed me to a room on the third floor of the hospital nonetheless. She hesitantly opened the door and an exhausted doctor walked out. I grabbed his arm, causing him to turn in my direction. "What's going on in there?"

"She won't talk to us. She's not catatonic, but she's pretty damn close." I pushed him to the side, running into the room. She was just lying there, unmoving; so unlike the cheerful girl that had come bounding into my arcade this afternoon.

"Usagi." She looked at me, her eyes blank. The five feet between us was covered pretty quickly as I reached her bed. I sat down beside her and looked into her eyes, into those searching depths, wondering how far back she was. I shook her still form, trying to wake her from the death-like state she was in. "USAGI! WAKE UP USAGI!" For a second, I could have sworn that something life-like swam up beneath the surface, but then it submerged, just as quickly as it came. She turned her head from me, avoiding my penetrating gaze.

The nurse pulled me off of the unresponsive girl and out of the room, severing me from Usagi. "I know you're upset, but I need you to calm down!"

I slumped against the wall in defeat. "God, Usagi. What's going on with you?" The nurse, seeing that I wasn't headed into the room again, finally let go of my arm. "Would you still like me to go tell her parents? If anything, it'll just get me out of here."

The brunette nurse nodded speedily. Maybe she wanted the help. Maybe she just wanted to get me out of here. It didn't matter. "Thank you so much. We've been so busy with all the victims from the youma attacks that we've been lacking on people to do such things." A pager beeped in her pocket and she nearly jumped when she read it. "I've got to go. Your friend is going into surgery and they need me to help with it. I'll make sure he's okay. Don't worry!" But the words filled me with empty reassurance as she rushed to the operating room.

I exited the hospital, pulling up my hood against the still pounding rain. I looked at the abandoned parking lot around me, wondering what had happened to Usagi and then Mamoru. What were they hiding? I walked, letting instinct guide me to the Tsukino residence as my mind searched for the unexplainable answers. When I finally snapped out of his dazed stupor, I found I was standing on the Tsukino's porch. _Now or Never_. I thought and I hesitantly rang the doorbell. The chimes went off and footsteps resounded, sealing my fate.

The door swung open, revealing a disheveled Kenji Tsukino in his pajamas with an aluminum baseball bat in hand. His eyes were bloodshot as if he'd been waiting up for his missing daughter. He probably had been. "Can I help you?"

I finally worked up the courage to say. "I know where your daughter is." Kenji froze, his shocked expression disappearing beneath his suppressed rage.

"Who the hell are you punk and what do you know about Usagi? Where is she? What have you done to her?" The vein on his forehead bulged as he yelled at me. I lowered my face as if it could deflect the verbal assault. Ikuko put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Kenji, calm down, you're really worried. Would you like to come in? I have a feeling you have a lot to tell us."

I was guided into their home and directed to the living room. I sat down on the couch. I began speaking before anyone had really settled in, but I just needed to tell someone what had happened. "First I should explain who I am. I'm Motoki Furuhata, the owner of an arcade that Usagi loves to go to after school. She's like a little sister to me, so I would never let anything happen to her. So…" Ikuko put a comforting hand on my shoulder and motioned for me to continue.

"I don't know exactly what happened to her. I just found her. She was lying on the sidewalk, covered in ribbons. She didn't have anything on other than that. At first, I didn't recognize her. Hell, at first I thought she was dead. She was lying so still. She wasn't breathing or moving." I paused for a second to clear my head and blink away the unwanted tears from having to see her like that, even if I didn't know it was her at first.

"Then she moved and I knew I had to get her to a hospital. When I got in the hospital, I handed her off to another doctor and only then did I realize it was Usagi." It seemed to be another person was talking. I felt detached from the situation as I delivered the rest of the news. I was still coming to terms with this, myself. "She talked cryptically and told me to go find a dead man in the park. This man was in fact my best friend, Mamoru. He didn't have any cuts or bruises on him, but he was barely breathing. I took him to the hospital and when I did I found out about Usagi. She won't talk to anyone, she's barely alive as it is."

Kenji jumped up immediately. "What the hell are we doing here, then? Ikuko, get our coats. I'll go start the car." Minutes later, I was in the car with them. We began driving, the rain still pounding down on us like the world was ending. Kenji was gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white with fear for his daughter.

First came the mist, rolling in unexpectedly. Then _IT_ came out of thin air, appearing in front of us in a moment's notice. Kenji hit the brakes with a yell of surprise. But it didn't matter. The car still flipped over, filled with the screams of its passengers. The car finally landed on its back. I shook off the shock as the youma approached the wreckage. Kenji and Ikuko were unconscious. We'd left Shingo at home and my cell phone had been crushed during impact. God, where was a hero when we needed one.

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I could feel it. The latest doctor was still talking at me. I looked up, my interest piqued in something totally different. Somewhere, there was a youma and it was attacking. I threw off the covers to the dismay of the doctor. I hadn't spoken and now I was suddenly leaving, I could see how this could be confusing. I tore off the hospital gown they'd dressed me in after trying to cut off my ribbons (How could they know the ribbons were the key to my power when unleashed? Were they trying to kill me? Could they be enemy spies? I'd have to follow up on this theory one day.). The doctor came towards me, probably to restrain me or talk at me some more.

I gripped his wrist, not even bothering to look at him. Then I threw him into the wall. Not hard enough to kill the man or crack the wall, but just enough to knock him unconscious. I walked over to the window and opened it, feeling the rain and the wind hit my face. At the feel of eyes upon me, I looked over my shoulder to see a nurse yell for help.

And then I jumped through the window. There was a second when I hung suspended in the air. My loose hair was spread out behind me, a streak of sunlight in the middle of a storm. It seemed like I could see for miles. The rain had seemed to freeze in place. Then gravity caught up and I was three stories above the ground again. I flipped, absorbing impact with my knees. I was off running in a flash. The cement was cool beneath my feet, speeding me along faster and faster and faster. I pushed through the mist, pinpointing the epicenter of it all.

This was going to be an interesting battle. The senshi wouldn't be awake and if I disturbed them, then Rei would kill me. And Tuxedo Kamen… I stumbled, crashing to the ground. I laid on the ground, guilt and despair crushing me. I wanted so badly just to melt into the sidewalk, but I couldn't just leave innocent bystanders helpless. Slowly I picked myself up off the ground and I went on.

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><p>~Motoki's POV~<p>

The youma kept attacking the car over and over. I kicked at the door and the window finally shattered. I crawled out of the broken hole only to be assailed by the youma. It gripped my foot and hefted me up, looking at me like a slab of meat. And then it turned around suddenly, sniffing the air intently. The youma itself resembled a moose, except it walked on two feet and had a second pair of arms. So it was like a moose- spider thing.

A figure emerged from the mist. She stood still as if unsure and then I saw the pink ribbons cascading down from her chest and the blank expression on her face. Her head was cocked to the left as if she was confused about what she herself was doing here. And then she did the unthinkable and slipped into a battle stance as if she'd been doing it her entire life. Her expression turned hard and unreadable. I had lost her beneath her waves of anguish and determination. Where was the Usagi that I knew and loved? I hoped she was still wnadering the empty city of Tokyo, lost and confused. I hoped that she was sitting at my counter, begging me for another chocolate shake, but I knew better.

"Usagi, what's going on?" I whispered to the immense nothingness that created the barrier between us.


	3. Chapter 3: Overwhelmed

**Intro**

Hello to all you readers out there! It's me again and I brought a new chapter with me in case you didn't notice. So first of all, I would like to thank _Starrlight1812_ and _Become's one with the story_ for reviewing! The positive feedback is always appreciated! Thank you to _Tsukiko Kaiba_ and _myrnasep_ for adding Picking Up The Pieces to their Story Alerts! And finally, thank you to _Tsukiko Kaiba _and _myrnasep_ for also adding this story to their Favorite Story's list! Thank you so much for all the support.

So please remember to read, review, and most of all enjoy. Oh and almost forgot; I don't own Sailor Moon.

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

Oh, Motoki was there? I didn't even notice him. I was so focused on the youma holding up an innocent Tokyo citizen. At this point, I was past caring if people knew my identity. "Moon Prism Power Make Up!" But all the power and love was gone from my voice. I knew it up front. I was just here to perform a duty, nothing else. A warm light enveloped me and the ribbons flared out, covering every inch of my body. When they finally cleared, I was left in my regular Sailor Moon outfit. The ugly youma changed its hold on the man to a grip on his neck. I leapt, too fast for it to react and grabbed the man, setting him away from the battlefield before sprinting back. My number one priority was to protect these people now.

The youma spun in circles, trying to find me. When it finally found me, it charged towards me and my eyes flew wide open, half crazed. I smiled wickedly feeling the strange pleasure of having a purpose flow through my veins.

The youma was entirely black with a red diamond on its back. It had a long neck with a set of large spiked horns on its head. It stood on two feet and had two other sets of arms. I leapt up, jumping over its head and grabbing its horns, cutting my hands. Using my momentum I flung it into a tree twenty feet away. I landed and lurched slightly to the left. I was still weak and exhausted, physically and emotionally. Two youma fights and betrayals really can really take it out of a person. I leaned up against a tree, panting for the breath that appeared in front of me, but didn't seem to fill my lungs.

The youma finally got up and shoved the tree down. It roared in pain and charged again. This time, I couldn't leap out of the way in time, so I spun left to try and dodge. Pain lanced through my side as it caught me with its horns and I looked down to see red blossoming from my side. Damn, this wasn't good.

I reached up for my tiara and raised it high. "Moon Tiara Action!" I sent it hurtling through the air, but it only blew the creature back into a lamppost. It picked up the lamppost and threw it at me. I jumped to the side and stumbled, crashing into a tree. The world started to tilt and I clung to the tree as if it was my only hope in the world. Where was Tuxedo Kamen?... Oh yeah, he's… he's… dead. I sank down to the ground as despair washed over me like a wave.

"Tuxedo Kamen, I need you! I can't do this without out you! Mamoru!" As the youma drew closer I hastily wiped away the tears blocking my vision. Now wasn't the time to break down. I just had to get through this and then I could… I had no idea what I was going to do after I defeated the youma. My only purpose now was to defeat the youma and protect the princess of the moon when she arrived. Now, I just had to get up and not die.

I shakily got to my feet, ignoring the pain coursing through my body. I withdrew my tiara again and flung it. "Moon Tiara Action!" The youma screamed in pain and was sent flying into the car. I heard a yell of surprise come from the broken vehicle. Crap, there were still people in there. I put a hand to my side and braced my arm against the tree. "Over here! Hey you! Over here!" The youma turned back to me quickly and charged.

I abandoned sense to the wind and leapt. "Sailor Moon Kick!" I hit it square in the face and it drew back, roaring and howling. How could no one be here when I was just begging the dead wouldn't rise. Two vans screeched around a corner in the background noise. I was too keyed into my enemy's movements to really take notice. The youma shook its head, flinging blood away from between its eyes where my kick had found its mark. I could hear shouts from cameramen and reporters as they rushed out. Great, now I would have to protect even more people.

"Are you people blind? Don't you see I already have enough to protect!" I turned my entire body to yell at them and only then did they draw back. The blood had stained the entire lower half of my uniform blood red, despite the pouring rain. "Call an ambulance for those in the car and get out of here!" As soon as I'd finished speaking, my back was struck with blinding pain and I was thrown into the left van, which was painted white, so that blood smeared from where I hit it. The people stared and I fell to the ground on my stomach. I looked at them, turning my head slightly, hair falling into my eyes. "Go… Please go…"

I hesitantly got to my feet, leaning heavily along the van. My blood dripped onto the tires and ran onto the street. Someone tried to get a grasp on my arm to lead me away. I had him pinned to the van in a second, defending him from the charging youma. "Moon Tiara Action!" I threw it at the moose spider thing and it finally sank down to its knees and dropped to the ground. I fell to my knees and breathed heavily. I braced my hands against the shifting pavement. Why was it moving? I must have been weaker than I originally thought. Water and my soaked hair pooled around my hands. Lightning illuminated the background and thunder shook the ground. I shook with fear, the world finally crashing down on me. "Sweet Selene, just let it end! Please!"

The crowd finally looked back at me, their fallen heroine. I got to my feet slowly and sprinted towards the youma, stumbling slightly from lack of unmoving ground. It was like I was in the middle of an earthquake; the ground was pulsing with my heartbeat and lurching up and down. "Get away from it! Get Away!" I pushed a cameraman to the ground as a hand shot out. It grabbed me around the throat and pulled me towards the ground. I was bashed against it and the world tinted red as blood began to run into my eyes.

"Hey! Let go of her!" An innocent citizen jumped onto the arm of the youma and it let go of me. Someone pulled me to safety and I laid on the pavement in beautiful relief. The rain cleared my thoughts, letting me think.

After an unknown amount of time I carefully got up to my feet and lurched back over to the danger zone. Now that everyone knew to back off, I was okay. "Moon Tiara Action!" The youma burst into dust and I gratefully collapsed into someone's waiting arms. They tried to lay me in the other van, but I shook my head. "Get the car passengers and the other victim in there. I'm okay. They need more help than I do." I sat down against the tires and rested my head in my hands. Someone was talking to me, trying to get me to say something. Right then, it was only an incessant mumble of words in the background of my thoughts.

_Every battle is going to be this hard now. Every single damn battle! I can't call on the other senshi anymore, otherwise they'll think I'm weak and useless, even though I probably am. I can barely take down one youma by myself. I am really worthless… And now I won't even have any protectors with Tuxedo Kamen being dead... Tuxedo Kamen? Mamoru?_ And then suddenly the world seemed to go silent and I was falling, falling into the depths of my sadness, with the only highlight, my thoughts echoing back against my own mind. _Why? Why, Tuxedo Kamen? Why, Mamoru? Why'd you have to die? Why'd you have to leave me alone? Why am I so alone?_

The broach burst against my skin and the pink ribbons cascaded down upon me again. There were shouts from the reporters and they swarmed around me. I was barely aware they were even there. The only indication was that the noise level increased. Then someone was shouting and it all died down. Slowly, ever so slowly, I was lulled to unconsciousness by the sound of sirens and the talk of a person around me.

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><p>~Motoki's POV~<p>

After Sailor Moon… Er, I mean Usagi dusted the youma, I helped lay her in the back of the news van, limping on the leg that had avoided injury. As the heroine of Tokyo, she refused, leaving it open for me and her parents. Oh My God, I'd totally forgotten about them! I rushed over towards the car. "Mr. Tsukino? Mrs. Tsukino? Kenji? Ikuko?"

"Motoki, is that you? I'm trapped in the driver's seat. Ikuko is still unconsciousness." Kenji shouted from the car wreckage. The guys from the news van were already rushing over. While the cameramen were filming unnecessarily, the others and I were trying to navigate through the broken window to get to them. Other shouts came from behind us and I noticed that Usagi had transformed back.

"Kenji, I'm leaving you to these other guys. I have to go help someone." I got up and ran towards the ribbon-clad girl, tripping on my bad ankle. I got up and continued going, limping again. "Get away from her! Can't you see she needs a doctor? You need to worry less about her and more about where the ambulance is or we're going to lose her for good! If you want a good story, go help the guys with the car!" Nobody moved a muscled. "GO!" Finally, they reluctantly moved towards the car and I was left to protect Usagi. I kneeled down, noticing that she her hold on reality was slipping. I heard a siren in the background. I just needed to get her to stay awake long enough so the paramedics could take over. "Usagi, I need you to stay with me. Usagi? Usagi?" But she'd lost consciousness by the first time I'd said her name. The ambulance finally stopped next to me. "Over here! Please help her!" The rest was a blur of movement and shouts. They loaded her onto a stretcher and finally someone turned to me.

"Are you okay?" A young man who looked very much like Mamoru was watching me keenly, trying to assess if I'd been hurt in any way. I finally realized I was expected to answer.

"I think so. I was attacked by the youma, but I think I'm okay." The young man came over and looked at the bruising that was forming around my neck. I looked over to my pant leg and saw that it had been torn and that a circle of blood and raw flesh had formed. I also saw that my ankle was twisted in an unnatural angle. I'd been so keyed up on adrenaline, I'd hardly noticed that I could barely put pressure on it without yelping. "Can you help me up?"

"Sure." He helped me up and loaded me into the back of Usagi's ambulance. They'd only brought one, not realizing the severity of the situation. We sat in the back of the ambulance as it pulled away. A fire truck had come to take care of Ikuko and Kenji and another ambulance was on its way. "Now that we are in the confines of the car, I'm going to need you to tell me who the girl is."

"That's Sailor Moon. No one was there to help her and a bunch of people got involved so she got hurt protecting everyone." The paramedic sucked in a shaky breath.

"I'll do what I can for now, but the real treatment will begin at the hospital. Until then, you can just wait." He went around, checking her heartbeat and her breathing. The she began murmuring in her sleep.

"Mamoru, you can't be dead... No, Mamoru… Please, I can't be alone… Ami, Rei… Why?" She twisted around as if to dodge something and the blood began flowing again. Usagi coughed and blood splattered the man's face.

The medic cursed. "Yuki, get us back to the hospital ASAP!"

A woman with purple hair tied in a ponytail just shouted. "Ya got it Dan. Hang on, I'll try to keep it smooth, but it's gonna get pretty fast." True to her word, the ambulance arrived at the hospital but five minutes later. They unloaded Usagi in a flash, some of the doctors shouting that the vanishing girl was back.

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I woke to surrounding faces. I was trapped among the doctors again. I couldn't look at them. They filled me with sadness. Mamoru was studying to be a doctor. Mamoru and Tuxedo Kamen were gone. All because of my failure! "Go away…" It was barely a whisper, but they heard.

"Miss. Tsukino, we just want to help you. Please respond to us." They probably wanted to really help me, but I was beyond listening to them or even looking at them. Their presence was almost enough to send me over the edge. I was on the verge of an emotional wreck and they weren't helping in the slightest

"Go away." It was stronger this time, but they still continued.

"Usagi, we need you to talk to us."

"Go Away." No one moved to leave.

"Usagi, please, we just want to help you."

"GO AWAY!" My screeching blew them all into the wall facing me. They sank to the wall, unconscious except for one. He stared at me in absolute horror. My eyes opened wide. "I didn't… I mean…" I got up, pressing a hand to my injured side, and ran out of the room, the pain and fear bearing down on me with every step.

* * *

><p>~Motoki's POV~<p>

The petite nurse came up to me as I waited in the hospital. "Excuse me sir, but I'm going to need you to come with me."

Dan interceded. "Liana, he needs to be treated first. He's got to get his ankle in a boot. I think it's broken, but I can't be sure."

"Get him a wheel chair, this is important." Finally, after managing to locate a chair, I was guided to a room on the third floor. A very familiar room. The glass was broken from the window and there was a faint crack in the wall on one side. Liana turned to me, extremely unhappy. "Miss Usagi Tsukino did this. Do you care to explain who she really is?"


	4. Chapter 4: Running

Intro

Hello to all my loyal fans. Thanks first of all to _Falling into the Darkness_ and_ Mamoru Fangirl_ for the wonderful reviews. I appreciate the love and the critiques. And thanks a bunch to _dglsprincess105 _and _Keiko Mineko _for adding me to their Story Alerts. The love is very much appreciated! I hope that everyone out there reading this knows how much I love them and that if they review, even anonymously, they'll get their name up here! So please, take the bribe and just review.

So please read, review, and enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Sailor Moon. If I owned it do you think I would be on this site?

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I was sitting in a corridor somewhere in the second floor with my hands over my ears when I heard the announcement. I hadn't found a successful way of blocking out the sound yet. "We have a missing patient, but we think she is still somewhere on the grounds. She may be dangerous so proceed with caution when approaching her. She has blond hair almost down to the ground and a broach on her chest with pink ribbons." _What are they trying to do, alert the Dark Kingdom? Hm... Still have to test that theory about them being spies. Not tonight, when I'm not running. When I'm not fleeing from the entire world._

A black haired doctor paused as he passed me, doing a double take. He looked awfully familiar, but maybe it was just becuase his hair looked like Mamoru's. _Oh yeah, Mamoru_... And a new series of tears poured out of my eyes. "Excuse me, but I need to get you back to your room. Are you okay with that?" I simply nodded, tears streaming down my eyes. He tried to put a protective arm around me, but I shrugged it off.

"Please don't touch me…" Crusted blood on my face made it slightly hard to talk, despite the fact that it was barely a whisper.

"Miss, are you okay?" I couldn't answer because I honestly didn't know. _My scouts have abandoned me, Tuxedo Kamen is dead… _I broke down in fresh sobs. My chest heaved up and down, making fresh waves of blood spill from my wounds. I gasped from the agony that started with the heavy flow. The corridor seemed to spin around I put my hands over my eyes. I felt a prick in my arm and looked over to see the doctor push the plunger down. Immediately, I felt the drug settle in. My vision blurred slightly but didn't fade to blackness like I thought it would. "I'm so sorry Usagi, but I have to make sure you don't hurt anyone. Now I'm going to be right back, don't worry." Strangely, the pain seemed to have been lifted from my shoulders, yet when I tried to get up, my movements felt disjointed and strange.

The doctor returned with a companion and a stretcher. I was standing up, leaning heavily against the wall, panting from exertion. Whatever they gave me had been pretty heavy. "Usagi, you have to stop moving otherwise you'll lose too much blood." The green haired doctor put a hand on my doctor's shoulder.

"Brent, she's not going to listen to you. Just put her on the gurney and let's get out of here." I shakily started walking towards the gurney and when my knees gave way, Brent reached out to try and catch me. He picked me up and put me on the gurney, bridal style. It reminded me of how Tuxedo Kamen used to hold me and suddenly I couldn't stand the touch of his arms.

"Don't touch me…" I didn't need anyone's help anymore. I was alone in this cruel world and that was just fine. I could take care of myself.

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><p>~Motoki's POV~<p>

"Ma'am, Usagi's Sailor Moon…"

An announcement came out over the loudspeaker. "We have a missing patient, but we think she is still somewhere on the grounds. She may be dangerous so proceed with caution when approaching her. She has blond hair almost down to the ground and a broach on her chest with pink ribbons." I couldn't even make out half of it as the blood pounded loudly through my ears.

Liana wheeled me into a room. "Sir, let me see your ankle."

"How do you expect me to be calm when Usagi is missing? Let me out of here!" I tried to wheel towards the door, but she blocked it with her wiry frame.

"Sir, do not make me sedate you. Your friend is in capable hands." Reluctantly, I let her handle my raw ankle. "Dan was right, seems like you do have a break. I'll get doctor down here to set it. You just wait right here and I mean you wait right there."

She exited the room, leaving the door open. I stared out the open door and saw two doctors rush by with a patient on a gurney. "Motoki." Usagi stared at me as she was wheeled past, her eyes slightly unfocused. Her arm was draped off the gurney towards, as if reaching out for me.

Another doctor came in at that point, closing the door behind him. "Hello Motoki, so you have a broken ankle?" I growled in frustration, I'd lost Usagi again.

* * *

><p>~Brent's POV~<p>

I watched her closely as we ran with her through the halls. We needed to put her on a morphine drip to ease her pain. The injection could only last for so long. And we needed to check her for internal damage. She really hadn't been out long enough before for the others to do any real scans on her. They'd been so incompetent. I could only curse under my breath at their stupidity.

Haku looked at me with a strange look on his face. "What?" I mouthed, confused. He looked back down at Usagi and looked puzzled when she stopped speaking. I'd been too focused on other things to hear her say anything. I pulled her hand back onto the gurney so she didn't hit anything. Haku just shook his head and we made a sharp turn into a room. From there, we set to work, giving her basic treatment. "Haku, come look at this." He came over to me, looking at Usagi's injured side. It was already almost healed. There was a thin line of blood still trailing down her side, but it seemed to be fading fast.

"God, what is this girl?"

"I'm Lunarian. That's the reason why I heal especially fast unlike you regular humans. And the correct term would be Selene; not God." Usagi shook her head, waving off the effects of the drug I'd given her. _How is she doing this? What is she? _As if in response to my thoughts, she continued. "I heal faster, I run faster, I'm stronger. My metabolism has a huge advantage over yours, but I need to eat a lot more. The other senshi… are like me, but to a less degree because they're from other planets. That's why you never see us in hospitals after a youma fight." Her eyes blanked when she mentioned her senshi. _Is something wrong with them? _

"Well, Usagi," I began with a shaky voice, "Would it be okay if you stayed here a couple days so we can make sure you're alright?"

Her voice was as emotionless as her eyes were blank. "I'll be fine, but I need to contact my family to let them know I'll be indisposed for now. Could you please leave?" I directed her to the hospital phone built into the wall and then Haku and I left the room, closing the door gently.

"Do you think she's okay?" He asked, concern for the young girl creating worry lines on his high forehead. We barely knew her and yet we were already concerned for her.

"I don't know, but something is definitely wrong." We heard her voice shoot through an octave in the background. Something was wrong, desparately wrong, and that couldn't lead to anything good for Usagi.

"What do you mean they went to the hospital? I'm here right now and they aren't here. Shingo, what happened to them?" A minute later, she slammed the door open. "I have to find Motoki immediately." The looks on our faces must have betrayed our concern. "Do not make me use force."

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I dialed up the home number and unsurprisingly I was met with several rings, but then Shingo picked and that wasn't usual. I've learned by now that whenever something is even slightly off, nothing good is bound to come of it. "Hello?" He asked, sleep still written in his voice.

"Shingo, it's Usagi. Where are Mom and Dad?" My voice was rushed with panic. _Did something happen to them too?_ My thoughts raced through the endless list of possibilities.

"They went to the hospital after a guy named Motoki came to tell us you were in the hospital." Shingo's voice was more alert as he began to realize that the situation was graver than they realized.

"What do you mean they went to the hospital? I'm here right now and they aren't here. Shingo, what happened to them?" My voice went high, as it did when I was panicked or upset. You could probably say I was just about there.

"I don't know! Usagi, you're scaring me. What happened to you? Where's Motoki, he's supposed to be with them. Why are you at the hospital?" I blinked, trying to remember when I'd last seen Motoki. I racked my tired brain, trying to remember. _He was in another room, in a wheelchair. Somewhere close. I have to find him!_

"Shingo, I call you when I get the time. I have to go." I hung up without even waiting for an answer. _I've lost Tuxedo Kamen. I've lost my_ _senshi. But damn if I'm going to lose my parents. _I opened the door. Haku and Brent looked at me. "I have to find Motoki Furuhata immediately. He knows where my parents are." They had dumbstruck looks on their face. _Damn eavesdroppers._ I was teetering on the edge of anger. "Do not make me use force." They didn't move and I lost it, tipping off the edge into panic.

"Moon Prism Power Make Up!"

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><p>~Brent's POV~<p>

She extended out her arms and then the ribbons burst out from the center of her broach and covered every inch of her. A warm pink light enveloped her. Haku and I were blown backwards into the wall, thrown by the immense power flowing out from her. A couple more doctors sprinted around the corner and immediately covered their eyes, blinded by the light. Yells surrounded the corridor from either side and the light finally dissipated.

Sailor Moon stood, shaking slightly, before us. She was a child with all of this power and she didn't know what to do with it. She was just looking for her parents. "Step aside. Don't make me hurt you." Her tone was panicked, but there was a sharp edge to it, warding off anyone from doing anything. "Find me Motoki Furuhata." When no one moved, she yelled, but there was only pain behind it._ What has this girl gone through_? "NOW!"

A man stepped forward. "He's in my care at the moment."

"You have to take me to him. I need to find my parents." She rushed over to him, eyes lit with a new hope.

"He's in the third door to your right." She'd already started sprinting before the man was finished speaking. I ran after her.

"Usagi! Wait, Usagi!" I turned the corner as Usagi rushed into a room. I came up right behind her as she gasped. Other doctors were in there getting to ready to set the bones back into place. Motoki was paling as he thought of how much pain he was going to be in.

"Motoki!" He looked up, surprised that she was there. "Where are my parents?"

He scratched the back of his head and looked extremely uncomfortable. "They were the ones stuck in the car at the youma fight. We were on our way to see you when the youma attacked. I got out and was taken here when the fire engine came to take them out."

Usagi looked grim as the arcade operator relayed the news. "Thank you." And then a surprised look crossed her face as if something had just connected inside her mind. "Well the least I can do is try to heal your wound. I've never done it before, but I might be able to." Usagi put a hand on his elevated ankle before anyone could protest. A warm white light enveloped the two and worked its way throughout the hospital. When it cleared, Usagi was standing, suspended as if by some invisible string from her heart. And then her cord was cut and she collapsed onto the floor. Motoki stood up from his chair, perfectly healed.

"Check the rest of the hospital!" Others ran around checking all the rooms and discovered that everyone was healed. I on the other hand, had gotten help from Haku and we'd brought her back to the other room.

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><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

I woke up with a thin sheen of sweat covering my face. I looked around, confused. _What is going on? Where is Sailor Moon? Why did I transform back?... Oh yeah, I stepped in front of Jadeite's blast for her. Wait, how am I alive? Is she okay? Where the hell am I?_

Motoki entered the room, a grim line set for his usual smile. "I see you were healed as well. Looks like she healed the entire damn hospital."

"What the hell is going on?"

"I should ask you the same thing, Tuxedo Kamen." My eyes widened. How the hell did he know I was Tuxedo Kamen? "Yes, I know. Usagi is Sailor Moon too."

"Usagi is Sailor Moon?" _How could klutzy, crybaby, stupid, slacker Usagi be the heroine of Tokyo? Well the hairstyle makes sense now. But still, Usagi?_

"Mamoru, Usagi's changed since you last saw her. She's more like Sailor Moon than Usagi now. She's so full of pain."

"Why? What happened to her?"

"She thought you were dead, Mamoru. She thought you died to save her, so she felt it was on her hands. I think she thinks her senshi abandoned her. She kept murmuring about them while she was unconsious."

"I have to find her. She's probably worried sick!" I sprinted out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me.

"Second floor, room 227!" Motoki yelled after me. I dashed around the corner and down a flight of stairs. The hospital was a maze, but I'd been in here so many times to observe other doctors that I knew the general way. I stopped outside the birch door of room 227. For some reason I was nervous. And then I felt the breeze blowing from under the door. I slammed open the door and saw the unconscious doctors. A window had been opened and I rushed to the sill. I looked outside, but the heavy rain obscured everything. Usagi was gone.


	5. Chapter 5: Belief

**Intro**

I'm back! Sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long, but I was in Italy with family and stuff. So here's the next chapter and I'll have the next one up soon I hope.

Thansk to _James Birdsong, Starrlight1812, Mamoru Fangirl, _and _Tsukiko Kaiba_ for reviewing. The love is appreciated greatly and only adds to the updates. So keep reviewing! Thank you to _butterflywings27 _for adding Picking Up The Pieces to your Story Alert. And finally, thank you to _Starrlight1812, selenitysaura, _and _Elonah _for adding this to their Favorite Stories. Thank you guys so much for that! Love seeing new names up here!

So please remember to read, review, remember that I don't own Sailor Moon, and enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 5: Belief<p>

~Usagi's POV~

I spiraled through the air, shooting off into the open and then I felt the eyes on me. They couldn't see me, but I knew they were there. Call it a heroine's intuition. I landed at the foot of the building down the street, looking up at my window. Thunder pealed and I gave a yell of fright, smothering it with a gloved hand. Then the lightning struck the empty depths of the sky and I could see a figure illuminated in the frame, looking out into space, searching for something. For me. _Damn, they were Dark Kingdom spies. I told them too much._ But I was too preoccupied, chasing off my fears as I ran towards the car crash.

I closed my eyes and felt the pull of the dark energy, a moth to the flame, a heroine to the battle. My own type of addicting drug. It lingered from the battle, drawing me in. Thunder crashed in the background and lightning created white spots against my closed eyelids. My eyes flew open and found I was standing in the middle of the street. I jumped, landing on the hood of a frozen car. I looked inside and saw a family, fearful for their fate. _They know not how lucky they are. Free from fate's cruel chains, to live their own lives._ I leapt over the pristine vehicle and continued running, slicing through the descending early morning fog. The sun was unseen, but probably beginning to peak over the corner of the mountains far away.

I charged blindly, reaching the almost abandoned intersection as the rain began to subside at last, easing to a shower. I slowed to a walk and hesitantly approached the crash, fearful for the news I would find. "Excuse me?" Heads turned my way. Apparently, I was a big deal; not that I felt it. I was simply a child looking for her lost parents. "How are they? The ones trapped in the car?"

"Miss Moon, they should fine. They luckily avoided most injuries and with you here to defeat the youma they were better off than they could have been. The only problem is that the woman won't wake up. She keeps murmuring about her daughter we assume, but we have no proof. We assume this is shock and she'll wake up eventually." A grizzled paramedic said.

"May I see her?" I asked hesitantly. "She's my mother." After a moment's hesitation, I was ushered into an ambulance and I saw her. She was lying with a white blanket over her. The white somehow seemed deathly rather than the beautiful color it usually signified. "Mom! Please Mom, you have to come back!" I shouted, running to her side. I took her limp hand in mine, but it was cool to the touch as if death had already taken hold. I tried to find my healing power, but it seemed to be buried deep beneath layers of pain. I quickly gave up on reaching it and switched to another tactic of bringing her back. "Mom, it's Usagi. I'm okay now. Open your eyes and see. I'm fine! Mom, I already lost so many tonight. I can't lose you too. Mom!" But my pleading would not bring her back. Not any more than it brought Tuxedo Kamen back. I cried over her figure, too still to be real. A protective hand was placed on my shoulder, but I didn't fight it.

I finally flew from the room without a look back. Dad ran after me, but I couldn't look at him. Not after seeing Mom like that. I jumped, fleeing from the scene as I had fled from so many things in the last few hours. There was only one place I could go to now. I slammed up against the front door to my house, so lost in my thoughts that I'd barely noticed that I'd gotten home. I wiped my eyes. I had to be strong for Shingo. If he saw me breaking down, it would crush him. I would have to protect him now.

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><p>~Shingo's POV~<p>

I threw the door open wide and she stood before me, eyes dry, but puffy from crying. There were dark circles beneath her eyes as if she'd barely slept. She was soaked and shivering, even though she tried to stop it. Her outfit clung to her legs which looked like thin sticks at the moment. "Usagi!" She embraced me and took me inside, ushering me in quickly. "Where's Mom and Dad? What happened to you? Are you okay? Where's Mom and Dad? Why are you Sailor Moon? How did that happen? Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Shingo, get ready for school and I'll tell you everything afterwards. Just make it through the day. I'll be waiting at the gate of your school. If I'm late, it's because a Youma attack popped up." She smiled warmly at me, though every single bit of it was fake. I'd known her forever, how could I not tell. _What's wrong with her? Why is she forcing her smile?_

But I ran upstairs anyways, realizing I'd be late to school otherwise. I heard an alarm clock go off somewhere, the only bit of normalcy about the situation. I heard hesitant footsteps on the staircase and ran out of my room to see Usagi in her pajamas, kneeling on the stairs, breathing heavily. I ran to her. "Usagi, what's going on?"

She tried to smile again, but the attempt was worse than the last. "I'm all right Shingo. I've just been up all night. I'll just sleep through Ms. Haruna's class again and then I'll be fine." She gently closed the door to her bedroom when she reached it. Luna scampered out of my bedroom and scratched at Usagi's door and Usagi let her in.

I stood there, slightly frozen. _What is going on? _I walked to my bedroom and changed, going through my normal routine. As soon as I opened my door again I smelled eggs. _MOM!_ _She's back!_ But when I rushed downstairs, I saw only Usagi in her uniform, cooking me breakfast. She gave me a plate and a bento. "Lucky me. Mom made the bento last night and somehow I managed not to burn the eggs. Now I've got to go to school Shingo. Can you get to yours fine?" I nodded slowly, carefully. In truth, I barely understood her words. She hugged me tightly and then ran out the door, closing it behind her with a definitive slam.

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I ran towards school, fighting back tears. Luna had simply chided me more for not minding my duties... again. She'd made the best of Mamoru's death, saying I would just have to get stronger. Of course I didn't tell her about Ami and Rei's abandonment. I wasn't totally sure myself. _Maybe Ami will have calmed down from last night. I just have to get through school and then tell Shingo. After that I can cry as much as I want. _I passed the Crown, but it was closed. _Looks like they haven't released Motoki yet._ Finally arriving at school, I burst through the door to the classroom. Only Ami was sitting in her desk, politely reading a book. "Ami?" She looked up at me and then back down to her book. "Ami, are you mad at me?"

She pretended to think for a second and then finally said to me. "Yes Usagi. Yes I am." Her voice was dipped in sarcasm and sprinkled with malice. The cherry on top was the glare she gave me.

"Why?" It barely squeaked out, but I had to know why. I knew, but I wanted to hear it from her. I had to know why she would never want to speak to me again.

"Usagi, whenever we work together, you push all the work on me. You're generally stupid and you have no real desire to change that." Her voice was rising slowly, but surely. "You're always late and you don't seem to care about it. You're a klutz, which nearly kills me every battle. You're a glutton and you're irresponsible. You never seem to care about anything. You're always putting my life in danger because of your incompetence as a friend and a leader. And if you weren't any one of these things, Tuxedo Kamen wouldn't be dead!" By the end, she was screaming at me. "You killed him! You killed Mamoru!" She flung her book at me and I ducked, running out of the room. I sat out in the hallway, fighting to keep back the tears and hold back the nausea, despite my empty stomach.

I held my hands over my ears, blocking out the noise and I seemed to be transported back to the hospital, where spies seemed to be kinder than my own senshi. Tears flew freely down my cheeks and I sobbed into my knees. "Usagi, are you alright? Usagi?" Naru's face came into view. I hugged her fiercely, my last remaining friend.

"Naru! Oh Naru!" She sat down next to me, hugging me as I sobbed into her shoulder. _I'm so pathetic. Ami and Rei are right to abandon me. I have to be stronger now that Tuxedo Kamen is gone. I have to be stronger for Shingo. _I suddenly stopped, remembering that I had to be strong for Shingo. I wiped my face and stood up. I helped pull Naru up and we entered the classroom together. I took my seat, choosing to sit away from the bluenette and closer to my sweet friend, Naru.

People filed in from the door and seemed to think it was weird that I wasn't talking with Ami, but that was perfectly fine. I sat on the outskirts of Naru's circle, only speaking when talked to. My goal was just to get rough the day to get to Shingo. Class began with Ms. Haruna storming in, muttering under her breath about a boyfriend that broke up with her.

"Okay everyone, did anyone forget to do their homework." She didn't seem surprised that my hand was not raised. "Tsukino, you did your homework… again?"

"No. I just didn't have time to do it."

"And why was that?" She asked, annoyed that I had once again failed to turn in an assignment. I'll admit that it wasn't my first time, but for the first time today, I was going to tell her why.

"I was up all night fighting youmas." I could sense anger rolling off Ami in waves. I could almost hear her thinking, 'What the hell is she doing?' Other students snickered, assuming I was lying. It was the truth so everyone assumed it was a lie.

"I'm glad you have a great imagination Tsukino, but learn to think and do your homework." She shoved me outside and I sat there, glad to escape the room. I could hear Ami ask to use the bathroom through the door and she came out. She shoved me up against a wall and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Listen up Usagi. You've already given away Rei's identity due to your stupidity. I swear to Selene that I will hunt you down if you reveal mine. You better watch your back because you're treading a fine line with the senshi's patience." With that she reentered the room and I was left breathless against the wall. I sank down to the ground, tears forming. _Why am I so weak? Why is all this happening to me, Selene? I've never let anyone die. I've foiled every plot. I've been a good person! What did I do that pissed off karma so bad that my life has become a living hell? Why can't it just end?_

* * *

><p>~Ami's POV~<p>

I left the stupid one against the wall and came back in. I carefully hung up the bathroom pass and sat down at my desk. Ms. Haruna's lesson was something I had learned last year, so I began reading next year's curriculum. Now that I didn't have to worry about leaving… _her_ behind, I could focus on my studies. I knew Rei wouldn't mind.

Ms. Haruna finally called the girl back into the room and she entered, tears dripping from her face. _What from? Me confronting her? Mamoru's death? Her own stupidity?_ Now that I didn't have to be nice to her anymore, I could think all the mean thoughts I wanted. _It is too bad, Usagi was quite kind. _I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. She had killed Mamoru, Rei's boyfriend, our protector, and for that she would suffer... But I had to admit, she looked horrible. She had dark circles under her eyes, which were red from crying. Her face had lost all color and her hair looked like it had been done in a flash. She was slightly wet though the rain had ended earlier this morning. And she had this terrible haunted look in her eyes...

But she had done this to herself. She'd probably been late as always and was scrambling as usual. I appeased myself with these thoughts and ignored her stare. Yes, I would be asking for course changes after school ended.

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

School mercifully ended and I stood up, Ami bumped into me, knocking my books out of my hand. "I'm sorry." She sneered and kept walking. I picked up my books and gratefully loaded them into my case. I walked, head down, nervous as hell, out of the classroom and down the stairs. Not looking where I was going, I bumped into someone.

"Excuse me." I whispered. I was too broken to say anything louder.

"Get the hell out of my way, bitch!" I was roughly pushed to the ground by the fiery priestess who was dressed in her school uniform. "You're lucky that's all that's legal! It's your fault Usagi and I'm never going to let you forget it!" It looked like Rei had been waiting all day for this confrontation. Unfortunately, I hadn't.

"I said I was sorry. I tried to save him! It's not my fault!" I was trying not break down in the middle of the hall with all those people watching. I was trying to convince myself it was true. I had tried to save him, but it had proved in vain.

"Nothing you say will ever bring him back! It's all your fault! I hate you Usagi Tsukino!" I got up slowly and she pulled me up the rest of the way, whispering fiercely in my ear. "It's your fault he's dead Usagi. No matter what you say, what you convince yourself is true; you killed him. How can you live with yourself? Just go to hell." With that she pushed me backwards and stormed past me.

I sank to my knees, whispering to myself my meaningless mantra. "But I tried to save him. But I tried to save him. But I tried to save him." When I looked up, the hallway was clear and I was terribly alone. I hugged my chest tightly. It hurt just to breathe, to think, to exist. I was stuck in this hellish existence and I couldn't endure it without my senshi.

_Mamoru is dead because he tried to save me. The senshi have abandoned me because I'm useless and because I killed Mamoru. Mom's in a coma because she was coming to see me and got hit by a youma coming after me. Motoki's still at the hospital because he was attacked by a youma that I couldn't stop in time. I'm alone. I'm useless. I'm the cause of the problem._

_Rei's right. I killed him. It was all my fault._


	6. Chapter 6: Broken

**Intro**

Hi, welcome to the newest chapter!

Thank you to _Starrlight1812, Tsukiko Kaiba, _and _Chacaya _for reviewing! Thanks to _sweet magic gal, Sayain46, happy-rea, _and _angelVamp425_ for adding this story to their Story Alerts. But most of all, thank you to _sweet magic gal _for adding this to her Favorite Story's list. You rock!

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I ran from the spot, leaving my books where they lay. Why would I need them now? I transformed as I sped out of the abandoned school. People were surprised to see me running, but I left their stares with abandon. I finally reached Rainbow Bridge. I jumped to the tallest point and looked down over the water. I deactivated and gazed once again over the endless waves crashing.

Sweet oblivion waited for me in just a while. Just a little more and then it would all be over. I would no longer be the cause of the problem. No one else would die or get hurt because of me. Because of my stupidity, my incompetence, my irresponsibility, and the list went on. Rei and Ami could already handle the youma, so why was I needed? I wasn't. Rei and Ami would be happier this way anyway. They wouldn't have to worry about seeing me anymore and would have finally achieved their vengeance for Mamoru… Oh yeah him. I wouldn't have to deal with his death either. It would all be over. All the pain, the suffering, the horrid looks on Ami and Rei's faces that tore at my heart, the youma fights. I was going to be free.

"Goodbye…" I whispered to the nothingness that stretched out before me. I could hear shouts and exclamations before me, but they settled into the background. Someone yelled my name, but I couldn't hear exactly who. Though it did have a comforting ring to it. Almost like something forgotten in the sense that I couldn't make out who it was. But it didn't matter at the moment. Nothing did.

I extended my arms out to my sides and jumped, arcing through the cold, damp air. And then I began to fly.

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><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

I was making my way home after finally being discharged from the hospital. Motoki had offered me a ride home, but I needed the air to clear my head. I was walking along Rainbow Bridge when I heard the shouts. Some were in excitement. Some in fear. _What's going on now?_ _Someone is jumping off the bridge? But how'd they get up there?_ _Sailor Moon? Usagi!_

I pushed my way to the front of the crowd and then I saw her. She was standing up there, her face pained to the point of suicide. Her hair flew behind her with the wind. "USAGI!" I yelled for her, but she didn't seem to hear me. She outstretched her arms and then she jumped. She dove through the air and there was a collective scream from the crowd. She was falling, falling, falling… and then she disappeared. "Sailor V!" Someone screamed.

Sailor V was swinging along the edge of the bridge, the girl in her arms. Usagi was pale, anyone could see that, but she didn't fight the firm grip. As they flew away, I ran towards their trajectory. I had to find Usagi.

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I was freefalling, waiting for impact when I was slammed into on the side. My trajectory was thrown off course and suddenly I was flying sideways. I opened my eyes and realized I was in the arms of Sailor V. I hadn't been greeted by the sweet Moon Goddess. I paled as I looked at her. Then I realized… _I just tried to commit suicide. And here I was trying to be strong. I'm still weak, running away from it all. _

"Sailor V, I'm Sailor Moon."

She turned to me, surprised that a girl who had just jumped off a bridge was in fact Tokyo's heroine. I looked away, shamed to meet her like this. "Come with me then. We have a lot to talk about." She landed, on a building a bit away, having let go of her rope earlier. "So you say you're Sailor Moon? Prove it."

"Moon Prism Power!" And the light around me glowed, taking the usual form. When it dissipated, I was left in the regular Sailor Moon outfit. "Do you believe me now?"

"Sailor Moon! Why were you trying to commit suicide?" Despite the fact she didn't know me, she was concerned. Anyone would be concerned if they found you trying to commit suicide.

Tears leaked out of my eyes and though I hastily wiped them away, they kept coming. "My protector, Tuxedo Kamen is dead. My senshi have abandoned me. My mother is in a coma. My friend is in the hospital. And it's all my fault. I'm not a heroine! I'm the cause of more problems than I solve. It's not like I even asked for this! I was given a broach by a talking cat for Selene's sake. Oh no! Shingo!" I was jolted out of my misery by the thoughts of my forgotten brother. "Sailor V, I have to go! My little brother, I left him at school!"

She put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "I'll come with you." We leapt across Tokyo at breakneck speed, trying to get to my little brother. I detransformed a block away and so did Sailor V. She was in jeans and a tank top, but could be no more than my age. Her long blond hair was held back by a large red bow. "I'm Minako Aino by the way, but you can call me Sailor Venus."

"Usagi Tsukino." I gratefully shook her hand and headed towards Shingo's school. Luckily, his got out later than mine, but it was still rather late. When I got there, he was alone, searching the empty road for me. "Shingo!" His face lit up when he saw me and bounded towards me. He stopped when he saw my new friend. "Don't worry Shingo, this is Minako. She knows I'm Sailor Moon."

She flashed a "V" and stuck out a confident hand. "Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, at your service." Shingo took her hand, dazed by her outgoing attitude, and shook it.

"Shingo Tsukino, just a random guy at your service." Minako chuckled. Shingo turned to me. "So Usagi, what happened yesterday? Tell me everything."

I scratched my head and began on my tale as we walked home, sugarcoating the worst parts. "Last night I went out to go to a youma attack. I was assaulted by another one before I got to the real one and ended up late. Jadeite fired dark energy at me and Tuxedo Kamen took the blast. I shoved him out of the way, but it wasn't enough… He- he died." I gulped, forcing back fresh tears. Why was this still so painful?

"After that, my senshi abandoned me, saying they wouldn't work with me anymore. I collapsed and Motoki found me and took me to the hospital. From there I ran to another youma fight, which I battled alone. I managed to defeat it, but a couple people got hurt, including me. They took me back to the hospital and from there I found Motoki and used my super healing to heal myself. Don't ask until later." I would have to explain to him the extent of my powers once I was sure there was no unwanted people listening.

"I healed Motoki using a newfound power and fled from the hospital to the last youma fight where Mom and Dad had gotten into a car crash. Dad's fine, but Mom won't wake up. I've already tried talking to her and I can't reach my healing power anymore. It just disappeared. So I came home and found you. At school, Sailor Mercury bullied me through class. After school, I saw Mars and she was even worse, yelling at me in front of everyone and telling me it was my fault that Tuxedo Kamen died. And then while I was coming to get you, I met Minako."

The speech was painful, but I managed somehow to get it all out. My voice level dipped and weaved between silence and whispers, never escalating above my average voice level. Tears kept springing to my eyes, but I blinked them back, furious at my own weakness.

"You forgot one part Usagi." Minako said finally. There was a lot of regret in her voice, but I knew she would tell him anyway. Isn't that what a hero is supposed to be for?

"He doesn't have to know." I averted my eyes, the blood pounding through my heart. A throbbing headache made itself evident in my mind, matching the languor in my bones. My world was crashing around me and I didn't have any energy to fight it.

"I don't have to know what?" Shingo yelled at us. "I'm still here you know!" His voice pained me to no end. I winced at the loud voice which hurt my throbbing head. The world seemed to

"Your sister tried to commit suicide." Minako dropped the bomb and Shingo froze in his steps. I couldn't look at him. I wanted to run, but legs had locked up and I was frozen a couple steps ahead of him.

"How could you? How could you try and leave me when I needed you most? You were ready to abandon me too? You were ready to give up on the hope that life could get better?" His wavering loud voice, quieted, readying its final blow. "You were ready to give up on the hope that I could help you? What about me Usagi?" Tears filled my eyes at his true accusations, each one cutting like a knife to the heart.

"I'm so sorry Shingo. I never wanted to involve you." I switched off my emotions one by one, beginning with pain and sadness and ending with happiness, which had been barely touched all day. It was my greatest weapon against my life. Again I felt transported to when I wouldn't talk to the doctors. I had retreated and only then could I find peace.

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><p>~Minako's POV~<p>

I felt really bad about telling on Usagi like that, but her brother did have a right to know. But then she just… shut down. Yes, that's the best way to describe it. Her eyes got this glazed over look and her voice went flat. Shingo noticed it too, but he didn't say anything. I doubted that it was the first time this happened. _What led her to this? Where is all this pain coming from? I have to find out. _

I have this ability and when I use it I can search a person's heart for love. When I went to search hers, I couldn't even get there. The layers and layers of pain were blocking it from my view. She'd built wall after wall in front of her heart. _What happened to her?_

Her blank eyes pierced mine and I finally understood. She was protecting herself from the pain. _No wonder she was trying to commit suicide. She has so much pain. She feels responsible for so many things and people. She carries the weight of death on her shoulders and she has no one to turn to. Even I had Artemis when I left England. _A black cat appeared on the top of the wall to our left and began following us.

Soon enough Artemis had jumped up on my shoulder as well. He snuggled his face against mine and I laughed, tickling his nose. "Artemis, this is Sailor Moon and her brother. Feel free to talk in front of them." He looked up suddenly at the black cat that was meandering on the wall.

"Luna!" She looked over and surprise was written on her small face.

"Artemis!" She jumped onto my other shoulder and carousaled around until I could regain my balance. "Oh sorry about that." All I was able to think was _Great, another talking cat. Just what this day needs._

"Luna, you shouldn't talk in public. People will notice." Usagi coolly chided her cat who bristled a little bit, but then settled down with a bit of a smile. Shingo was frozen with shock. He looked like his head would explode if anything else happened.

"L-luna can talk?" Luna smirked and turned to her mistress.

"Glad to see you're taking your responsibilities seriously for once, Usagi. You're right. Artemis, come with me. We have a lot to talk about." The two cats jumped off, disappearing. Usagi shook her head and put a tentative hand to it.

"Usagi, are you okay?" Shingo quit gaping at the talking cats and touched his sister on the arm. She looked down, trying to smile. He was so worried about her, amplified by the fact she'd tried just tried to end her life. _How would he have managed without her? She looks so important to him._ I clutched the sides of my chest. I couldn't be thinking about family right now. not when I was needed.

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy." I frowned; the day's events were catching up to her. Had she even slept last night? She needed to get home and rest, fast.

"Usagi, my apartment is just around the corner. Why don't you come rest at my place for a while?" She nodded, pain etched into her face. She stumbled forward and I caught her arm. "Come on, just a little bit farther." Thank Aphrodite; somehow I made it to my apartment. I got all the perks of being an emancipated minor.

Usagi laid down on the couch and Shingo sank down into a nearby chair, nearby. I got a batch of hot chocolate going and joined them. I looked at Usagi, who'd passed out the moment she'd sat down. "You love your sister a lot don't you?" I said, switching my gaze to him. Shingo simply nodded. "You should know why she tried to commit..." I couldn't even say the word, but he understood. "I get it more because I'm a heroine, because I've had to deal with this sort of thing.

"Tuxedo Kamen died, trying to save her. She feels that if she wasn't so weak, she could have prevented his death. So she blames herself for it. And her senshi, Mercury and Mars, aren't helping either. They abandoned her and from the sound of it, are treating her like crap. They believe it was her fault that he died too and they're making her believe it as well. Shingo, you may be too young to understand, but having a death on your hands kills something inside of you, it breaks you. You need someone to help pull you out of it. And she lost that when she needed it. She feels the same way about your mother. Right now, they can't wake her up and Usagi feels responsible because they were coming to see her. I don't know about her friend, but it sounds like she couldn't protect him from a youma and is seriously beating herself up about it.

"Right now your sister needs you and you have to be there to support her. She probably feels alone, without anyone to talk to. It hurts, I would know." I looked away. I'd gone too deep for my liking. I hated having to deal with the hard stuff.

Shingo looked at his hands and was silent for awhile. Then he finally spoke. "What do I do now? How do I help her? I don't know what to do. I'm just a kid; I'm not supposed to have to deal with this stuff. I'm so confused. What do I do?" My heart broke for him and his family.

"First, we rest up and then I take you two home. After that, you need to talk to her. Make her talk because she can't keep it all bottled up inside. It'll kill her. Watch her because you need to know if she's going to try anything. She's fragile at the moment and the coming days aren't going to be easy for her. You need to be strong for her. Aphrodite knows that she tries, but I can already tell. Usagi was never meant to fight battles like this."

As if on cue, Usagi stirred on the couch. Lunarians always did heal quickly, but she must have been full blooded to have healed that quickly. I stored that away and got up, shaking Usagi on the shoulder. "Usagi, wake up. Wake up Usagi." She hesitantly opened her eyes.

"How long was I out?" Her voice was sleepy, but the familiar flat feel to it was back. Even when she just woke up, she was on guard._ What happened to her?_

I smiled kindly, banishing away my questions for a later time. "Not very long, you were just out about a quarter of an hour."

"Thank you Minako. I really appreciate you letting us come here. Come on Shingo, we have to get home and do homework… Oh that's right, I left mine at school. It's okay tomorrow is the weekend anyway. I'll get it then. Minako if you want, you could come over to dinner. I'll make dinner for the three of us." I nodded, not only would I get to watch out for her, I would get to have some good food. Had to admit, my part-time job really wasn't providing enough income, but I couldn't go back home. So I smiled and left with them, leaving my thoughts for another day.


	7. Chapter 7: Secrets

Intro

Hey! You know the deal! I have a new chapter here for you guys!

First, I'd like to thank _Chacaya, Falling into darkness_, and _Tsukiko Kaiba _for reviewing! _Falling into Darkness_, don't worry; Jupiter will appear pretty soon, but it's just Makoto for now. Second, thank you to _Reinstar Queen of the void_ for adding this to her Story Alerts. You rock! And last, thanks to _sailorkole_ and _sailordestiny3 _for adding this to your Favorite Stories list. It means the world to me. Thanks for all the support you guys.

So please read, review, and enjoy.

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><p>Chapter 7: Secrets<p>

~Luna's POV~

"Luna!" I looked up, seeing a long forgotten face. My eyes widened. _If he's talking in front of that girl, he must have lost his mind… Or she's a senshi and she knows Usagi is Sailor Moon. I just hope he's not trying to kill us._

"Artemis!" I jumped onto the unknown senshi's shoulder and began to look at Artemis intently. The old cat hadn't changed a bit. How he ever managed to keep his fur so white was beyond me. But of course it was hard to tell when the girl beneath me was wheeling around, trying to balance herself. She could be worse than Usagi and that was saying something. "Oh sorry about that." The blond finally regained her balance and smiled at me.

"Luna, you shouldn't talk in public. People will notice." I glared at my mistress, fur bristling slightly. _How dare she talk to me about duty when she can barely function without me! I swear, and now she's gone off and killed Tuxedo Kamen… Right, he's dead… _I shook off the sadness and the fear that threatened to close my throat. _That's funny, why are her clothes damp?_ I banished my thoughts and smiled at the girl, hoping she was finally coming into her own.

"L- luna can talk?" I smirked at the human boy's antics. He and Usagi never did fail to amuse me.

"Glad to see you're taking your responsibilities seriously for once, Usagi." I looked at her, noticing how deathly pale she was and how her eyes and her speech were flat. She seemed to barely be holding it together, despite the hard look in her eye. _What isn't she telling me? Something is wrong… Or maybe she's just sad about Tuxedo Kamen. What if I was too hard on her this morning? _"You're right. Artemis, come with me. We have a lot to talk about."

The two of us leapt onto the wall and as I looked back, I saw Usagi put a hand to her head. _Is she alright? I bet she didn't even sleep last night! She must be exhausted. _I snapped back to reality and narrowly avoided hitting Artemis. Oops. He looked at me warily and landed on a nearby tree where I joined him. I watched Usagi get towed away by the blond.

"Luna, are you okay? You seem really distracted." Artemis waved a paw in front of my face and I finally heard him. His eyes blue eyes reminded me of Usagi's cerulean eyes. They'd looked so haunted this morning. I wondered if she'd told me everything. Usagi had never lied to me before, but then again; I really had no idea what went on last night.

"I'm just worried about Usagi. She's been acting strangely all morning. Of course she didn't get any sleep last night and someone important to us did die last night." I looked away, fighting off the tears that threatened to spill over.

"What? Luna, are you okay? Who died?" I turned back to Artemis, explaining as the tears continued to fly from my eyes.

"Tuxedo Kamen. He died, protecting Usagi from Jadeite. She became incapacitated and when he fired dark energy at her. Tuxedo Kamen jumped in front of him. Usagi shoved him away when she was better, but he died from the blast. Then when he detransformed, it turned out to be Rei's boyfriend."

Artemis flopped down on the branch. "Boy, you've had it rough. Minako's had her moments, but she's always worked through them. Come on; let's go to her apartment where we can make sure no one is monitoring us." We jumped, making our way towards the apartment in silence.

Artemis leapt through an open window and I hesitantly followed him. _So she lives on her own?_ Artemis turned on the TV to the news. His fur stood on end, so I quickly joined him. A polished Japanese anchorman sat at a desk on screen rifling through meaningless papers. He flashed a winning smile at the camera and began his excited speech.

"Breaking news, we have just received word of Sailor Moon's Identity! After a battle, she apparently detransformed and her identity was revealed. Tune in at 6 to hear our full report and the situation."

I buried my head underneath my paws. How desperately I wanted to disappear, to melt in the carpet, to just be gone and done with it. _My job is to protect her and I couldn't even protect her identity. I am such a terrible guardian… But she never mentioned anything about going to the hospital. What the hell happened last night? _I checked the clock. 5:52. Eight minutes until the newscast. There was no time to stop it. The world spun around me and I shut my eyes furiously. My heart was pounding through my ears.

"Luna… Luna, talk to me. Come on Luna." Artemis tried to coax me out, but I wouldn't be opening my eyes for another ten minutes. My stomach couldn't handle a spinning room. My entire body felt numb with the shock and the cold downdraft that seemed to enter the room.

"Go away Artemis. I don't want to talk about this right now." But I didn't hear him leave. After a couple minutes of silence, I sighed. "Artemis, it's been centuries since the fall of Silver Millennium. The first chance to even resemble the lives we had back on the moon and I made one of the worst mistakes possible. Usagi and her family are now in danger because I didn't train her enough and I wasn't there at the battle. I'm a failure as a guardian and an advisor."

"Luna, it's not your fault. Usagi did the best she could and when she failed, she kept going. She may not be the best fighter, but she seems tough enough to endure anything you throw at her. And sometimes, that's more important than the actual fighting."

I finally opened my eyes, thanking Selene that the floor had calmed down. Yet, despite Artemis's words; I still felt as though the world was spinning beneath me uncontrollably. I looked at him and reveled in the clam aura he seemed to radiate. No wonder he was Venus's advisor. He had a much better head for keeping clam in battle than I did. "Artemis…" Our eyes met and he offered a kind smile.

I exhaled, shuddering as the cool breath left my body. I could almost make it out against the dim ceiling lights, but my eyes were clouded with tears. _I'm a failure_. The thought consumed my mind and reduced me to the wreck, waiting for the newscast. Thank Selene, it started only a couple seconds later.

"Hello folks, here's the article that will be all over the world tomorrow. Tokyo's elusive heroine Sailor Moon, has finally been unmasked. Her name is Usagi Tsukino and she attends Juuban Municipal Junior High School and is currently in eighth grade. Can you believe that the biggest hero of Japan is only in eighth grade?" Two startlingly alike pictures of the two were placed side by side. "Well there you have it. But here's the real scoop. Last night, Sailor Moon was discovered lying on the pavement. She was rushed to the hospital and after a few hours escaped, rushing to a second youma battle." My eyes widened. _Second battle? What second battle? _"During this battle three citizens were injured, though only one remains in critical condition. Here's the footage from last night."

Onscreen, the battle played out where Usagi was beaten and battered without the other scouts. She selflessly placed herself before the citizens. It ended with her broach bursting around her. Her eyes were lifeless from the pain, but there was a deeper pain in there that Luna recognized. Usagi had given up hope. _Oh Usagi…_

"Well, there's the film from last night. Immediately after the battle, Sailor Moon was rushed to the hospital and amazingly healed the entire place, while fixing a citizen's broken ankle. Are her powers growing or has this always been one of them? Only time will tell." There was a long pause. "This next part may be found disturbing to many, so if you feel inclined; please turn off the television." There was a second longer pause. My heart was in my throat. What had Usagi done that was so terrible.

"Today, Usagi was seen jumping off Rainbow Bridge in an effort to commit suicide." My heart stopped and I gagged. The world spun around me and I closed my eyes once again. I could hear the blood roaring through my ears. I felt the need to escape, to run away. But there was no real threat except the reality that threatened to tear me apart. "Luckily, Sailor V swooped in at the last second and saved the girl.

"Under the circumstances, I think it is appropriate to say that all of Tokyo supports you, Usagi. We hope to see you back on your feet in no time. Thank you for your time folks. Tune in at 8 to get this report again. Good night."

I sank down heavily to the floor. Sweet relief awaiting me as the weight on my legs became unbearable. My legs went numb, but I knew I wouldn't move from the spot for awhile. A pained expression must have been evident on my face because Artemis came over and licked my forehead. I curled into a ball, retreating into myself.

"Luna, you need to come out so we can go find Usagi." But I couldn't move. _She must have been heartbroken when I showed no sympathy this morning, but I'd just been trying to hide my own tears. She didn't even trust me enough to tell me about the second battle or that her senshi didn't even show up…_ _Where were Ami and Rei in the midst of all this? Rei must have been so angry at Usagi and I doubt that Ami was much help. Usagi must feel so alone. _

That was exactly how I felt. I was stranded on an island, trying to find my way off. Every way I turned was faced by an even longer stretch of impenetrable ocean that seemed to go on forever. Hopelessness seemed to surround me, cornering me… But then there was Artemis. How he always managed to pull me out of my despair amazed me.

He nudged my head. "Come on Luna. We have to go find Usagi and make sure she's okay. Or do you want to lie there all night and then really become a bad guardian? It's your choice." I shakily got to my feet; feeling like the ground was still spinning beneath me. But I felt an unbridled determination deep within me. I wouldn't stop until I found her.

"Let's go. I have to find Usagi."

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

An awkward silence filled the house as we ate dinner. Shingo kept watching as if I'd grab a kitchen knife and kill myself right there. Don't worry, super Lunarian healing prevents that from happening pretty much. Death had to be almost instantaneous for it to work, unless there was a huge wound or something. Minako kept trying to read me with that weird ability. And honest to Selene, it sent shivers down my spine. "Will you please stop it? I'm totally fine! Suicide is the last thing on my mind!" They froze and sheepishly turned back to the dinner I'd made.

I picked at mine; too worried to really eat. _I tried to commit suicide today. What do I do now? I'm so lost…_ Then a cat landed in my dinner.

I jumped back with a shriek. "Luna! What the hell are you doing?"

"What didn't you tell me last night?" I paled slightly, not that my pallor could really get any whiter.

"Listen Luna-" But she cut me off.

"How could you not tell me? Usagi, I thought you trusted me!" My cerulean eyes opened and I glared at her, cutting through every defense she had.

"Luna, you think I want you to know that my scouts have totally abandoned me and that I'm lost without them! Because then you would just tell me to work harder and I can't deal with that right now! I can't deal with the "Why can't you be like Rei or Ami, Usagi!" I can't deal with the fact that my grades are slipping and I have no time to do homework anymore because of your training regimen! And that these battles are always trying to kill me and without the senshi, it's going to be that much harder! You think that I want to have to think about this? No, so go shove it somewhere it's wanted." I got up, knocking my chair to the ground, and walked up to my room. I yelled over my shoulder, "How the hell did you even find out?"

"It's all over the news… along with your identity." My blood ran cold, freezing the anger and trapping me to the spot. My hand shook on the banister. I looked fearfully over my shoulder at the black messenger. I got lost in her humongous eyes, seeming to fall into them. I was always falling off the edge, slipping through the cracks.

"They… They know? How?" My voice trembled, showing my fear for the first time, and my eyes widened to huge blue orbs.

"At the end of your second battle, your broach burst. I'm assuming they matched pictures to your civilian identity. They're showing it again at 8, along with the news of your suicide attempt," She said, her eyes narrowed to glaring slits.

I sat down heavily and buried my face in my hands. Luna knew. She knew everything. And now my world was crashing around me as accusation after accusation stung like the cold metal of a blade. "Luna, you have to understand."

"No, I don't understand Usagi. I don't understand at all. How could you so casually throw away your life? How could you abandon your duties and the people of Tokyo!"

"It's always duty this and duty that with you! Pull your weight more. You have to protect everyone. Tokyo is depending on you. I'm a person too! I'M MORE THAN JUST SAILOR MOON!" I paused, finally fleeing to the emptiness of my room, where the dull ache of my heart seemed to fill the space.

* * *

><p>~Minako's POV~<p>

"Listen cat, I don't know who you are. But do you know what Usagi had to go through today? You weren't there when she was falling through the sky. You weren't there when her friends were cruel to her at school. You weren't there when she passed out from exhaustion. Where were you?"

Artemis glared at me. "Minako, watch your tongue. This happens to be Luna, highest advisor to Queen Serenity and Princess Serenity."

"Artemis, thank you. Minako, what happened to Usagi at school?"

"I don't know the exact details, but her senshi treated her like crap; yelling at her and bullying her. You should have seen the way she was shaking as she was telling me. It was like she was about to break in half." Minako shuddered, remembering how fragile the heroine really seemed.

"Rei and Ami… But that doesn't explain why she tried to kill herself. It's not enough to break Usagi. Usagi is stronger than that."

"She thinks she's the reason Tuxedo Kamen is dead because no one has said anything to convince her otherwise! You made her think she killed him! Do you know what that does to a person; especially a person like Usagi! It broke her into a million little pieces and now she's been left to pick up the pieces alone!"

Luna sat down on the table, staring off as each accusation cut like glass. I hoped it did. That girl was stuck in a world of pain and burdens that no one should have to deal with. And this cat had only made it worse. I stood up, slamming my hands down onto the table for emphasis. What can I say, I'm a drama queen.

"Did you know her mother is in a coma as well because she was attacked by a youma and Usagi didn't get there in time?"

Luna cringed and Artemis shot me that look. That I-swear-if-you-don't-stop-you're-facing-my-fuzzy-wrath-later look that was actually quite intimidating. I backed down, sitting back down in my chair, mumbling under my breath about cat ninjas, fur balls, and sour milk.

A flash of light burst through the kitchen, sending shivers down my spine. Luna jumped off the table and I followed her towards Usagi's room. The door was open and I gently pushed it inwards. Luna was running around the room, trying to figure out where her mistress was. I gravitated towards the window and looked through it. I could see a flash of blue making its way over the rooftops of Tokyo.

Usagi was gone.


	8. Chapter 8: Sight

Intro

Hi, sorry I've been gone, but you know how it goes. Summer reading and tons of other junk.

Anyways, thank you to _James Birdsong, Falling in the Darkness, Starrlight1812, _and _Tsukiko Kaiba_ for your continued reviewing. It's very much appreciated! Thank you to _PSVT _and _b..worm_ for adding this to their Story Alerts! Yay! You guys rock! Finally thank you to _savannah123 _and _Falling in the Darkness_ for adding this to their Favorite Stories list. You guys are even cooler than D Point!

Anyways, I also have a poll on my page, so if you care; please take it. Much appreciated! So remember to read, review, take the poll, and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

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><p>Chapter 8: Sight<p>

~Usagi's POV~

Its appearance sliced through my consciousness. I gently pulled my hands from my ears and looked around as if it was already in my room. Fear snaked its way up my spine as I wondered if the other senshi would be there. I took in a shuddering breath and grasped my broach. I opened my eyes with a new determination, resolute with a purpose. I lifted it high into the air and gazed at its simplicity; wondering how such a small and beautiful thing could have changed my life into such a hellish nightmare. And now I had to go fight off the monsters and return everything to normal for the dream's beholders.

Everything seemed like a dream, the way I was able to fight without ever dying, the sensation of falling off the bridge, the so predictable betrayal. It was as if I was nothing but a fleeting thought on a starry night. I clenched the broach in my outstretched arm tightly, my knuckles white as fresh snow. I couldn't doubt myself now. I needed the broach intact so I could use it.

"Moon Prism Power Make Up…" It was barely a whisper from a shattered soul, but it still sent light rebounding in all directions. Even before the transformation was complete I had jumped out of the pale window. I could sense Minako and Luna running up the stairs and slowed to let them see me run off. It would be awful if they thought I'd been abducted. As if I needed that.

I closed my eyes, following the pull of the dark energy. It whispered to me inside my mind, though I could not make out the words. They flitted along my consciousness as more important things made their way to the front. It felt as if a string was tugging at my heart, pulling me desperately towards the battle. When I finally opened my eyes, I was in the park. A youma stood feet away from me, a pungent metallic odor rolling off of it in waves. It was covered in multicolored metal, half of it seeming to still be booting up. On its face was a reflective blue visor, its eyes and other features hidden behind it.

Zoicite and Jadeite stood together, merely few yards away. I wouldn't hesitate to attack them, but they had that girl who wouldn't shut up. "Sailor Moon! He's a real person! They turned him into a monster or something! You have to help him!"

I looked at her intently, seeing past the unintentional façade. "Miles Militis De Vires. Brilliant." The Latin flew easily off my tongue, making me put a surprised hand to my mouth. I looked her over, trying to forget my slip up. She had long brown hair done up in a high ponytail, with two strands framing her angular face. Her green eyes were narrow as she struggled against her inhuman captors. She wore a lengthened skirt and had curly hair. Sukeban probably** (Author's Notes: Japanese version of a gang member)**. Despite that, she was incredibly strong, managing to hold her own against the generals.

I jumped, landing a spinning kick to the metallic monster, better known as Gesen. He braced with his arms, but I knocked him back a couple of feet.

"Gesen," He said. Pulling out a hammer from Selene knows where, he charged forward. I flipped over his head, bracing my hand on the crook of his neck and shoving him into the ground. I had to wear him down before… before I did what? I froze. I couldn't kill him, but I had no way to stop him either.

"Fire Soul!" Gesen was blown backwards into the water by the sudden onslaught of flames. My hands shook with fear as I turned to face her. Mars walked up before me. "Get out of my way; I'll finish this guy off because you're obviously not powerful enough. Take a hike Moon!"

"Mars, forget your vendetta against me for a second. That's a human and that over there is Sailor Jupiter. She hasn't been awakened yet. Do you see what kind of a situation we're in here?" Gesen jumped out of the water, sending electric currents off his body in sheets. He shot a crane out of his arm and I tackled the Martian, narrowly avoiding the no doubt electric wires.

"Get off, Bitch! You nearly got us killed! Moon, you can't tell me what to do! I'm not working with you anymore." I withdrew, hugging my chest, hoping that the world couldn't hear my heart slowly shattering. Rei pulled out her communicator. "Mercury, I need you over here. Jadeite has turned an innocent into a monster and," she said, lowering her voice greatly, "they have Sailor Jupiter though she hasn't been awoken yet."

I watched as Rei, too busy talking to Ami didn't notice the crane arm coming towards her. I ran, shoving her out of the way. And then I was flung to the right as the crane gripped my wrist and reeled back in. I was suspended above the ground by my wrist as Gesen looked at me. "Gesen." Electricity flowed through me and I whimpered in pain, unwanted tears leaking from my eyes. I could have sworn I saw Rei crack a smile, but it was hard to see with the black spots invading my eyes.

"Fire Soul!"

Flames leapt around me, licking at my skirt and my clothes. My face was illuminated by the inferno, barbequing the youma behind me. He screamed out in pain, dropping me. "Stop! Mars, he's innocent!" I braced myself and jumped in front of the youma, the flames hitting me full blast. My arms thrown out wide, I was a shooting star. The youma looked at me curiously, unsure of who to attack.

"Get out of the way! He's a youma and nothing more!" Mars was impatient, even as Mercury's presence appeared behind her.

The Sukeban girl yelled from Jadeite's arms. "He's innocent. They took something from-" She was cut as Zoicite hit her over the back of the head, efficiently knocking her unconscious. Jadeite dropped her on the ground and sighed. Zoicite looked at Jadeite with a confused look. "What? You had to admit, she was getting annoying." Jadeite sighed again and continued to watch the battle.

"Mars, he's her Tuxedo Kamen." I had to reach her somehow, even if it involved bringing him up. Fire entered her eyes, blazing with anger.

"How dare you use his name! You killed him Usagi!"

_Why is she always right? I have to face the fact. I killed him. Rei will always be right… I killed Tuxedo Kamen. _Then the world seemed to turn to darkness and I was falling, falling, falling. But Sailor Venus wouldn't be there to catch me this time. I was on my own. I'd been on my own since the second I shoved Tuxedo Kamen away. My knees caved in and I opened my eyes, staring at the grey sky. _I'm no heroine, I'm a murderer. I don't even deserve this power._

My broach exploded, the pink ribbons flaring out behind me like a flag. But still the flames continued; burning their way right to my heart; making sure I knew that I killed him. And then they stopped. But the relief I felt was not for me, but the one behind me.

I turned to the confused youma behind me and laid a hand on its blue visor, spreading my fingers wide. A warm pink light flowed from my palm and my fingertips into the core of his very being. He shuddered underneath my touch, but didn't move. The Sukeban girl was stirring, though her captors were likely too focused on me to even notice. I heard a voice call my name hazy explosion, but the world was going silent. I was falling again, deeper and deeper into the darkness; until it swallowed me up.

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><p>~Minako's POV~<p>

Changing in a flash, I ran after the girl with Luna clinging to my back. I couldn't find her and I soon lost the trail. "Luna, what do I do? She's totally gone!" Luna scratched the back of her head, until I could see the light bulb go off behind her eyes.

"You're Venusian!" She exclaimed as if she'd won the Nobel Prize for Science.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Find her heart! It's buried underneath the pain, so it'll feel different!" Luna smiled, though the wind was causing it to get distorted by filling her cheeks with wind.

I stopped atop the tallest building I could see, not noticing where it was. I closed my eyes and extended my consciousness, searching for her. I could see her in my mind. Her blue eyes, flat with apathy. Her blond hair, trailing behind her as she ran. Her face, blank of all expression. And then I felt it; that strange barrier of pain that I couldn't break through. "Got her!" I yelled before jumping over a building, flipping onto the adjacent rooftop. I ran toward her, only hoping I'd get there in time.

I reached the park minutes later, landing off on the sidelines. I smelled the smoke from far away and so did the media because I saw several crew members hiding in the bushes, filming the battle. Luna jumped off, seeking safety among the crew. "Sailor Moon!" Her soulless eyes stared at the grey sky. I held my breath and then I watched her broach explode. A pink light burst from her chest, ribbons shooting from the broach. But still the fire poured from the cruel senshi's hands onto Usagi's broken and battered body.

"Usagi!" I screamed, drawing the film to myself. "Crescent Beam!" Light shot from my finger, blasting the fire weilder into a tree. As I turned to Usagi, I saw her hand gently placed on the youma's head. Light was blasting out from her, but its aura was haunting. I could barely stand to look at her.

Finally, her hand slipped from its head and she collapsed onto the ground. "Usagi!" I ran to her, holding her head to my heart. She was surrounded by a circle of ash and burnt bits of her costume. I picked her up, one arm underneath her knees, the other underneath her arched back. Her arm hung down, swinging lifelessly. "See what you've done to her? You're her senshi! It's your job to protect her!" I turned back to the man, collapsed on the ground.

"She killed someone very dear to us! And who the hell are you for Selene's sake?" The fiery one yelled, getting up off the ground.

"I am Sailor Venus, Senshi of Love, leader of the Guardian Senshi underneath Sailor Moon." I cradled the seemingly dead girl to my chest. She was cold, despite the countless burns on her skin. "What gives you the right to attack her?"

"She killed one very dear to me and she risked our lives through her irresponsibility and overall incompetence at leadership. She's useless and she risked her life for a youma! We can't trust her!" Mars yelled at me, causing my anger to spike.

"He was innoce-" A rose landed at my feet and the field went silent. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. But can this transcend lifetimes and identities?" A caped crusader landed next to me, his face concealed by the brim of a top hat and by a white mask. _Why the hell is he in a tuxedo?_

"Cut the cosmic crap! Who the hell are you?" But apparently I was the only one who didn't know because the battle-field was silent other than that. My patience was wearing thin. but he finally spoke.

"My name is Tuxedo Kamen." _So this is the guy that everyone keeps telling Usagi she killed. He looks pretty alive to me._

"Wait, you're alive! How are you alive?" Disbelief rewrote my entire face, leaving a shell-shocked girl.

"She healed me." He said, pointing to the unconscious girl in my arms. "What happened to her? Who did this to her?" His eyes glinted dangerously behind his mask.

"Mars." I said, spitting out the word like it was poison. "She deliberately attacked Usagi even past the point of detransformation."

Tuxedo Kamen turned to the girl, wide-eyed with disbelief. "How could you? She was your leader! She trusted you with her life!"

Mars's anger dipped as rain began to drizzle over Tokyo. "She… She killed you. Usagi let you die! She didn't save you like everyone else!"

"She healed me along with an entire hospital! She near brought me back from the afterlife because you left me for dead! Mars, this death isn't on her hands. It never was." His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "And if you ever make her believe otherwise; I will personally hunt you down."

Mars fled, leaving Mercury standing in her wake. She turned around and walked away, shaking her head in disappointment. She looked over her shoulder, her icy blue eyes boring into mine. "She's going to be the death of all of us, you two. You'd be wise to learn that before you actually die." And with that Mercury disappeared into the rain.

Usagi shuddered in my arms, making me aware of how cold she must have been. "It is still here." Usagi opened her eyes, immediately closing them. She transformed back with barely a whisper, still in my arms, and yanked the ribbon out of my hair, tying it over her eyes. She got up and leapt towards the threat, not even bothering with back up. I soon learned she didn't need it.

She spun into a roundhouse kick, knocking a surprised Zoicite into Jadeite. Jadeite fired energy at her, but she felt its presence and swerved to the left, dodging. She leapt into the air and violently kicked Zoicite into a tree, which he plowed through. She turned around, back-flipping over the beams of energy. She grabbed Jadeite's outstretched arm and turned slightly, kicking him in the jaw.

"Crescent Beam!" I nailed Jadeite with my beam and he was sent spiraling into a lamppost.

"Who do you work for?" Usagi had Zoicite pinned up against the wall, her fist pulled back threateningly. Even with a blind fold on, she couldn't miss.

"Her name is Beryl. You'd be wise to remember that." Zoicite said with a smirk.

"What are you planning?" Usagi yelled in his face. When she was greeted by silence, she punched him, probably breaking his nose. I ran over to her, preventing her from harming him anymore. I dragged her off him and he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"What the hell were you doing?" I yelled, unable to contain myself.

"It's called interrogation. It's time we finally got some answers on who we're facing." She said coolly, retreating back beneath her pain.

"What's with the blindfold?" I said, dropping the last subject.

"I can only sense the darkness when my eyes are blocked. I can sense everyone's energy when my eyes are closed. Since you're probably wondering (I was); you have a warm bouncy aura that pounds with your heartbeat. It's a soft orange, more yellow than red. Like a giant ray of sunshine. And that's… that's-"

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I felt his earthy aura make its way slowly towards us. But there was no way. _He's dead. I saw him die. I killed him. He can't be alive! Why is he here?_ I pulled the blindfold above my eyes and met navy eyes. "No… You're dead. How are you alive?"

"At the hospital, you brought me back from the edge. I was so close to death; I could feel it breathing down the back of my neck when all of sudden there was this warm blanket of light. I woke up and Motoki was there saying you'd healed an entire hospital."

I nodded, feeling pain blaze behind my eyes. I closed them, feeling Mamoru's shielded red aura, bloom into a rose. "Usagi… Usagi!" I snapped back to attention, opening my eyes too quickly, then snapping them shut again. "Are you okay? You're pale as a sheet."

I swayed on my feet. I still hadn't gotten enough rest to recover from last night, not mentioning today. "I'm fine. I just need to lie down at home. Good bye Tuxedo Kamen. It is good to know that you're alive."

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><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

Motoki was right. She no longer contained that spunk that made her Usagi. She was so serious and sad, no longer cheerful. My expression must have been shocked because Venus gave me a pointed glare. She was so protective of her. "Usagi, are you sure you're okay?" I asked tentatively, not sure how she'd respond.

She nodded, strangely detached from that I was alive. "Just tired. Three youma battles in less than a day with little to no sleep." _Can't forget her comatose mother, her friend's betrayal, and thinking that I was dead._ But I didn't say anything I'd regret, just pursed my lips.

"We should get you to the hospital. You need some serious rest and to make sure you burns are okay." Venus said, but Usagi shook her head.

"I have to get home to Shingo. He's still all alone with Artemis. Besides, I'll be just fine in a couple hours. That's how it always works out." And though she was already healing, her skin still hadn't lost its gray pallor and her face hadn't lost that gaunt, haunted look. She turned to leave, stumbling slightly. Venus caught her arm and slung it around her shoulders, helping the weaker girl out of the park. She turned to me before she left and mouthed. "Midnight." And with that she walked away.


	9. Chapter 9: Midnight

Intro

Yo, it's me again! First of all, thanks to _Falling into the Darkness, b..worm, Starrlight1812, SerenityMoonGoddess, _and _Tsukiko Kaiba _for reviewing. Wow! You guys are totally amazing! Most comments I've ever gotten on a chapter. Thank you thank you thank you! And thanks to _White Owl, CheshireMonkey, _and _animeluverqueen_ for adding this to their Story Alerts. And lastly, thank you to _savannah123, PSVT, SailorMoonAddict, Mare Nectaris, _and _Falling into the Darkness _for adding this to their Favorite Stories list. You guys are totally amazing!

Anyway, please read, review, and enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 9: Midnight<p>

~Mamoru's POV~

I stood underneath the light of a street lamp, despite the fact that it was raining. I looked at my watch. 11:55. A young girl with a blazing red bow in her hair walked up to me, soaked. I yelled over the thunder in the background. "Motoki's is open. He said we could use his back room!" She nodded and we sprinted out of the rain. The reason I trusted her... Who else would be outside in the rain, right here, at midnight, who looked exactly like Sailor Venus?... That's right, didn't think anyone else.

The Crown was dark when we got there, but I pushed the door open anyway. Bells chimed in the dark room, making me shiver. Or maybe it was just the rain seeping in through my clothes. I heard someone come out and muffle a curse as he tripped over something. Motoki turned on the lights, a smile on his face. "Sorry, I was in back. I didn't hear you guys come in."

I smiled and turned to the girl beside me. "I think some introductions are in order. I'm Mamoru Chiba, also known as Tuxedo Kamen. This is my best friend Motoki Furuhata. His family owns this arcade. And you are?"

She seemed hesitant, but finally beamed at me, radiating confidence. "Minako Aino, Sailor Venus; Senshi of love, leader of the Sailor Senshi underneath Sailor Moon. Pleased to meet you. Umm... Can I have a towel?" She smiled widely, her energy infectious. Motoki nodded quickly and we followed him into the back room. He threw us towels and we sat down amongst the storage equipment.

"How's Usagi?" I asked, bluntly starting the meeting.

Minako's smile fell, betraying her. "She's not good. She's not good at all."

"What happened to Usagi?" Motoki asked, being totally in the dark at what actually happened that day. Minako started to recount her side of the story.

"I actually got there pretty late in the battle, but I was just in time to watch her henshin break. Poor Usagi." She said, her head lowered.

"Why did her henshin break? I thought only she could detransform."

"She's lost her hope. When her henshin broke, it meant she had lost hope in those around her… and herself. And if you count all the times that it's broken. That's a lot of despair she's feeling. She's got to be dead inside by now. As Sailor Venus, I can read people's hearts. I can't even reach hers anymore. It's totally blocked off by all these walls she's put up. I've read a lot of hurting people, but this ceratinly takes the cake." She played with a piece of her hair, clearly uncomfortable with giving away valuable information about her powers. But for some reason she trusted us enough. Maybe it was our care for Usagi that brought us together or the enemy that had been thrust upon us.

I clenched my fists. "This is all my fault. If they didn't think I died, then nothing would have happened." I guiltily frowned at the floor, ashamed of my own weakness against the Dark Kingdom. It had only been by sheer luck that I didn't die. Thanks to Usagi... And because of that, she'd lost her scouts. Well, except Minako; assuming she would help Usagi.

Minako came to my rescue, posing a question. "Did you know that Usagi actually fights more battles then the other senshi?"

I looked up suddenly. "But when she transforms I gravitate towards her and it's always towards one battle."

"She often fights youma on the way there, dispatching them quickly; but using a lot more energy. As such she's usually late. She moves too fast for the camera crews to catch up, so you and the senshi are never alerted of this. The only reason I know this is because she got rid of one before I could henshin. I got to admit, she's pretty damn fast. It's no wonder she's always goofing up in the main battles. She's tired and she has people to protect."

"Why doesn't she just tell them what's going on?" I asked. How could Usagi let herself get beat up like that?

"She probably doesn't have the confidence. Mars looks to be a real bitch." Minako laughed a dry, humorless laugh.

Motoki broke in. "We're getting off topic. What happened to Usagi?"

"After her henshin broke, Mars was still attacking Usagi. So I interceded and attacked her. The youma was turned back into an innocent citizen. In reality, Usagi had been trying to protect the innocent, despite the fact he was a youma. We got in a giant argument and then Mamoru appeared. The other girls freaked and disappeared. Then Usagi woke up and blindfolded herself using my ribbon."

I broke in. "Okay, why did she do that? It almost seemed like she was having problems seeing. She ran around a battlefield in a blindfold and ended up beating up Zoicite. It was like nothing could touch her."

"She has this ability that allows her to sense the darkness. But it only works when she has her eyes closed. She traced the darkness and was able to dodge everything that they threw at her." Minako recited, going off what Usagi had told her. She still seemed to be coming to terms with that herself. The whole prospect of it was strange.

Motoki motioned with his hands. "Come on, what happened next?"

"She questioned Zoicite and when he didn't answer. Usagi, innocent Usagi, punched him in the face. I think she broke his nose. Oh it was terrible, watching her sink so low." Minako shook with fear. "She was going to do it again if I hadn't stopped her. She was so ruthless, just like Mars. I barely know her and I know that she isn't like this." She looked down at her hands which were shaking and clenched them into loose fists to hide the fact.

Motoki leaned back against the cupboards. "Oh God, what is happening to her?"

I broke in. "She wants answers. She's been fighting for over two months and she still has no idea who she's fighting."

Minako lifted her head. "We all want answers, but there's a way to do it and a way not to."

"Well I don't blame her. She's been forced to endure things that no one else has, including you. She's been betrayed and watched as her friend died. Sort of. She's had to live with crushing guilt that shouldn't be hers to begin with. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, yes I can. Do you know why I came to Japan? I used to live in England. I left my teammates because I was dating one of them and I found that he was cheating on me with my best friend. I went ballistic and unleashed my power. My power was so untrained and raw, it hit a car and it crushed a person to…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, carrying through the enclosed space. "To death. I tried to help him, I really did," she added as if to reassure herself, "but he died anyway. The very people who I protected hated me. Even my own parents. So if you think I haven't endured this, then you should think again Mamoru."

"Minako…" Motoki started, getting up.

"I have to go and make sure Artemis hasn't locked himself out. Good night." She gave a quick bow and deftly maneuvered out of the room.

"Minako, wait!" I implored, running out after her. I looked out into the street and saw her running away, not even transformed. I made a motion to follow, but Motoki stopped me.

"She's still raw, much like you are. Give her some time. She's probably still bleeding on the inside. Come on, I'll make you some coffee. We still haven't decided what to do about Usagi." I gave one last look after her and then we headed back into the arcade, the night's work still looming over us.

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

Her fluorescent aura was bounding through the streets, quite distraught as her yellow orange was more tinted a darker savannah and was pounding along with heartbeat at a furious speed. I walked out the front door, making sure Shingo and Luna were asleep first. Flashes of light assailed me and I was momentarily blinded. Camera crews had been camping out on my lawn, even through the downpour!

"Usagi, why did you try to commit suicide?" "What are your thoughts on the recent youma attacks?" "What happened in today's battle?" "What happened to Sailors Mars and Mercury?" "Who's the new girl?"

I slammed up against my door, fumbling to find my key, only to realize it was in the pocket of my detransformed clothes. As long as I was Sailor Moon, I was stuck. They surrounded me in a semi-circle, cutting of my means of escape. "Please, stop!" They quieted, immediately pointing microphones at me. "Umm, today was very rough on the senshi. I have to admit, I haven't slept in…" I paused, counting the numbers on my fingers and decided that passing out on Minako's couch didn't count. "Over 48 hours. As much as the public doesn't realize, I patrol Tokyo every night. The public can rest assured that despite the growing number of youma attacks, I will do everything in my power to halt all injuries and damage.

"Today was the first of probably many battles to come in which an innocent citizen was caught in the crossfire. I do everything possible to appear at youma attacks as fast as I can, but there are limits to my abilities and those of the other senshi. We will try to do what is best for the public; however it is hard when we have normal lives. Now that my identity has been revealed, it will be easier for me to come to these battles, so you can rest assured that I will try my hardest to sense them as soon as they appear.

"I can also no longer speak for Mercury and Mars as they have broken their ties to me and the Moon. Mars has assumed leadership of this faction. For any information, you will have to contact them. Another new faction, Sailor V has also appeared in Tokyo. She prefers to go by Sailor Venus. Although I am not sure whose command she is under, she has assured me her allegiances are with me.

"As for today," I began, "you have to realize that we're simply kids. I'm in eighth grade, struggling at the moment because of all my senshi duties. Only those who risk their lives can understand. You do everything you can for the people you're trying to save, but when something goes wrong or it isn't enough; that weight falls to your shoulders. I was overwhelmed and you have to realize that as a kid, I don't know how to deal with this. Last night at an unrecorded battle, Tuxedo Kamen was put in critical condition, though he has recovered by now thanks to my healing of the hospital. My mother was also caught in the crossfire last night and is currently comatose. I have not heard from my father as of yet and am currently caring for my brother. I also get maybe five hours of sleep every night and the others are spent patrolling the city. Last night I didn't get any sleep and my judgment was impaired because of this."

I stopped. _Do I dare to talk about Mercury or Mars? Can't risk it. They don't have to know anyway. Let them think I'm weak, but if I pull those two into this anymore…_

"There are more reasons, though they will be undisclosed for the moment. I thank you for your time and patronage. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to leave."

I leapt over them into the downpour, running from the crowd. Closing my eyes, I found her aura and followed it, finding her quickly. She was leaning against a wall, detransformed. Hair soaked hair covered her face and though it looked like she'd been crying; it was hard to tell with the rain. She met my eyes without a word and transformed. Her identity still hadn't been made clear. We needed to protect it as long as possible.

"What are you doing here?"

"You seemed distressed. Are you okay?" But it was just a question. There was nothing behind it.

She wiped her eyes. "Yeah, just hurting right now. You of all people should get it."

I nodded and we sank to the ground simultaneously, mirroring each other's positions. "Venus, why did you come to Japan?"

"I was running… running from the past. But then, you get that too." I took her hand. She seemed alone. We were both alone. We'd had our abilities shoved upon us without knowing what to do. We'd fled from Selene knows what. _Though, she'd rather I say Aphrodite. Those silly Venusians and their goddess. Guess I can't say much either. We practically worshipped Selene. _I giggled slightly, earning a strange look from my subordinate.

"I'm going to patrol. You better get some sleep before you faint. You look terrible." She raised a skeptical eyebrow at me. "Fine, so I don't look any better. But at least I have an excuse to sleep during the day now. You better get going."

She reluctantly stood up, looking at me. She gave me a smile, which I responded to with a blank expression. Then she leapt off and I found myself alone once again. Seconds later, I found myself up on the rooftops, running. _How did I get up here? _I couldn't remember having jumped up onto the roof, yet I was there somehow.

I jumped back down to ground level and stumbled around, leaning against a window for support. _Man, I've been overdoing it. I gotta get home and rest, but where am I? _I stifled a yawn and jumped up to the roof, only to come crashing down. Water pounded along my back, painfully reminding me of when Motoki found me. Slowly I lifted myself off the damp concrete and made for the closest place I could see. The hospital. It may have been infected with spies, but hey, it was better than dying out in the middle of the road.

The doors opened and I stumbled in. The receptionist's eyes widened and she picked up the phone. "Brent, she's back." She put down the phone and I leaned heavily on the counter.

"Please ma'am, I just need to rest here a second. You don't need to get him." I put a hand to my head as the room spun. I slumped against the desk, closing my eyes. The woman's aura beat a nervous green. I could sense a person behind me, his purple aura swirling feathers around him on the wind. "Hi Brent, sorry for knocking you unconscious this morning." I opened my eyes finally and turned around, one hand still resting heavily against the counter.

* * *

><p>~Brent's POV~<p>

She looked terrible, yet somehow she was here. "Usagi, are you okay?" She had her eyes open, though they were really unfocused, as if she was having trouble seeing. I nodded to the receptionist and she phoned Haku. I'd probably need him to help in case she passed out.

"Yeah, just tired. Would it be okay if I rested here for awhile? I overdid it a little bit and I'm a little lost." Her voice was still monotone, but there seemed to be some exasperation in her eyes. She probably just wanted to sleep somewhere.

"Uh, sure." I said, trying to figure out what was wrong with her voice. Something was off about it. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Are you having vision problems?" I pulled a flashlight out of my coat pocket and checked her eyes. They were focusing when I looked at them, but they darted around the room quickly.

"A little, it's just the longer I keep my eyes closed, the harder it is to open them again. It's hit me really fast." I nodded, assuming she was talking about how tired she was.

"Here come on, I'll show you to a room." I moved forward a little bit and she followed, her eyes still closed. "You should probably open your eyes. Don't want you to fall or anything."

"It's okay, I can see just fine." She paused ahead of me. "Hi Haku, nice to see you're still doing well too." The door stopped just as it began opening. Haku poked his head out, his spiky green hair drooping a bit.

"Usagi, what can you see?" She smiled, though there was no laughter hidden behind it.

"I can see everything."


	10. Chapter 10: Raw

**Intro**

Hey! It's been a while. Here's the newest chapter. But updates are going to slow down a lot becuase of all the classes I'm taking. Ahhh! AP classes are torture!

Thanks to _James Birdsong, nxkris, inufan155687, Tsukiko Kaiba,_ and _MakotoAmi_ for reviewing. You guys are totally amazing, let me just say. Thanks also to _Caytlyn Rose _for adding this to your Story Alerts. Thanks a bunches. And last, but certainly not least; thanks to _Midnightangeloffire1 _and _inufan155687_. Love you guys.

So here we are. Chapter time. So you know the drill; read, review, and enjoy. That last one is key.

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><p>Chapter 10: Raw<p>

~Usagi's POV~

"I can see everything." I said and then I sank to her knees, my strength seeming to seep out through my feet into the cold floor. "But of course you would already know that. Wouldn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

I was up before him in a flash, my hand on his jaw, tilting it this way and that, examining him with my piercing blue eyes. He had to be a youma. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. You've gotten me to tell you everything. Now will you run back to her or not?"

"Run back to who?" he exclaimed, trying to break my strong grip. For being so weak, he still couldn't break my grip.

"To Beryl! Tell me where she is! Tell me why she's attacking us!" His face radiated shock. I finally had caught him in the act and nothing could convince me otherwise.

"Usagi! We're not spies! We're trying to help you!" He insisted repeatedly. But his words fell on deaf ears. His façade had completely failed. I already knew he was a spy. And if he wanted to believe that it was working, he was sadly mistaken.

I shut my eyes, hurling him into a wall. His feathered aura flashed through the air; the damn spy. He'd gotten me to spill everything and now he wouldn't even admit to it. I just wanted something to make sense again. "LIES! Tell me the truth!" He hit the wall, slumping down against the white floor. The fluorescent light blinked on and off, making it seem like a scene from a horror movie.

Haku moved towards me. "Usagi, we only want to help you!"

"Stop talking!" I screamed, shoving my hands over my ears. I had to block out the blood pounding through my ears, the incessant chatter, the horrified gasp of the receptionist, the everything. "Stop feeding me your lies. I want answers!"

I heard their footsteps before they entered the hospital. Their auras wound their way towards the door, shoving it open. Tuxedo Kamen burst through the door, Motoki not far behind. "Usagi, what's going on?" I shook my head, the pressure in my head building. Pain was pounding behind my eyes in rhythm with my heartbeat.

"She thinks were spies. I don't know what's gotten into her!" Haku said urgently.

"Stop!" I shrieked, removing my hands from my ears. "Stop!"

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

And that's when she lost it. The wind picked up in the room, flinging papers around. The receptionist fled, screaming. "Usagi! Get a hold of yourself!" She just stood there, her unfocused blue eyes finally open. _So this is what Minako mean when she talked about raw power. It's so unfocused, she'll break down the entire hospital if I don't hurry. _

I tackled the man, probably saving him. He crawled away, dragging the other doctor with him. I stood up, facing Usagi. I approached her carefully. She hadn't even noticed when they left the room, too absorbed within herself. She stood much like Ami used to, unsure of herself. Her blue eyes were hazed over as if she was on some different plane of reality. She wasn't even aware she was doing anything. "Usagi!" Her eyes refocused on my face. She moved towards me, the floor breaking where she stepped. "They aren't spies! If they were, they would have transformed into youma already! They would have disappeared!" It slowly seeped into her through her skin. Her eyes flew wide only to shut seconds later. The wind died immediately and she toppled into my arms.

"Dear Gaia, what's going on with you?" She seemed so fragile, especially while she was in costume. She was playing dress up in some super hero costume, too young to even understand. Motoki emerged from behind the receptionist's desk.

"Case in point. She's not the same. She's ruthless, trying to be a hero when she doesn't even know how to be a teenager." I nodded solemnly. This was all the proof I needed.

"She must be so confused. Everything she knew is toppling around her. She doesn't even know who to trust anymore." A head poked its way through the crack between the door and the frame.

He wheeled in the gurney. I didn't want to let her go, release her to strangers, but I had no choice. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her. Thank you for everything." I laid her down on the green material that no one knew was made of. Haku seemed awfully calm after being in an attack, but his hands were shaking. "Have to admit, never had a patient try to attack me."

I nodded; the joke out of place in the ruined room. I followed him closely through the hospital. "I'm a med-student." I explained. His eyes widened. "My name is Mamoru Chiba, I was working with you just the other day. Thank you so much for taking care of her. She's so confused."

He nodded. "She's been through a lot. More than I care to think about. She'll probably be up in a couple minutes. You know how she heals. Do you mind being there? You seem to calm her down." I nodded, following him into room 227, Usagi's room. The window had been closed, though the carpet was still slightly damp. I sat in the chair to the left of her bed as he leaned against the gurney. All that was left to do was wait.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate waiting?

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I heard soft noises around me. I opened my eyes, taking in the familiar room. My hospital room from earlier today… _What day is it?_ Sunshine filtered onto my face through a window. I could smell flowers around me. _Lavender?_ I hesitantly sat up, looking around at the flower filled room. In the corner, Mamoru was sleeping on a chair. _What happened?_

He shook his head, waking up. He looked over, doing a double take when he noticed me looking at him. "Usagi! You're awake!" I nodded. "Oh Good Gaia, you had us all scared to death when you didn't wake up!" I tilted my head slightly, showing my confusion. "You've been unconscious for two days." The number ran through my head, bouncing along the edges of my mind.

I got off the bed, leaning against for support. My legs were still stiff with disuse. I unhooked the IV in my hand and the other cords attached to me. Haku and Brent rushed in. "Oh my God! You're awake!"

"The correct term is Selene if I hadn't told you already. I have to leave. Where's my brooch?" They looked guiltily at each other, not even bothering to mention the flat voice. It was like nothing had ever happened, like I hadn't tried to attack them. Like I hadn't totally lost control.

"We're not really allowed to give it to you." I closed my eyes, tired of such sick jokes. _I need to get home and take care of Shingo. Two days he's been by himself unless Dad has gone home._ I saw the familiar silver radiance illuminated from Brent's pocket.

"Brent's pocket, along with a stethoscope and a pair of gloves. Give it now." Brent gave it to me. He knew by now that there would be no use keeping it from me. I transformed shaking out my tired limbs. "So, are you going to make me jump through the window or leave out the front door?"

Tuxedo Kamen and I walked out of the hospital, dogged by the media. Cameras flashed, reporters screamed questions. I covered my ears and kept my head down. Tuxedo Kamen pulled me close to him and put his cape around my shoulders. "Get away from her! She's just been let out of the hospital and you're not letting her breathe!" I nodded a silent thanks to him and ran from him and the crowd.

Home wasn't that far. I just had to make it there. I slammed up against the door as I had several nights ago. I leaned up against the door, realizing my house key was in the pocket of my clothes somewhere back at the hospital. I decided to ring the doorbell like a regular human being. This small normality was a treasure in my messed up life. The chimes blew through the house, but there were no pounding feet to answer the door or call to wait.

_SCHOOL!_

The thought jumped into my mind. It was a weekday, Monday! I was supposed to be at school. I pulled out a pin that held my hair in and picked the lock, letting myself in. I dashed up towards my room, barely stopping to shut the door. I detransformed and tore off the ugly hospital gown. I changed into my uniform, briefly remembering I'd left my case at school. Luna peeked her head out from underneath my covers. "Usagi-chan!"

"Jupiter's henshin wand. Now!" She gave it to me and I gave a wordless thanks.

I dashed out the door, tearing up the pavement as I dashed to get there. I was so late already. I passed Motoki's place, running inside. "Coffee!" I shouted at him. He looked surprised, but filled the order. "I'll be back after school!"

"Glad to see you're feeling better!" He yelled after me. Truth be told, I felt like the world was crashing down on me. I was stiff all over, making me uncoordinated and slower. It felt like any other morning. I chugged the coffee, throwing it into a nearby trash can. The school was in sight. I dashed into the main office.

"Usagi Tsukino's case. Left here the other day." The woman dumbly nodded her head and fetched it for me.

"I'm a huge fan of your work, Sailor Moon!" _Crap! My identity was leaked! Right!_

I ran back outside and heard Ms. Haruna's voice monotonously teaching through the window. Luckily it was open. I leaned down, my muscles coiling; and then released, launching myself through the open window. I landed on a desk. The girl who would soon be Jupiter looked up to me in surprise, pushing herself backwards with a jerk.

"Sorry I'm late Ms. Haruna. I just woke up in the hospital a half hour ago." Ms. Haruna rushed up to me, hugging me and pulling me down from the girl's desk. She barely noticed the flat tone to my voice. She was too excited about the new celebrity in her class.

"You don't ever have to worry about late ever again Tsukino-san. Being you have extra responsibilities and such, you do get to have some leeway. Now class, you should all strive to be as excellent a person as Tsukino-san."

I sat down at my seat, ignoring the pointed stares of my classmates. Seconds later I received a note from Naru. Her warm chocolate aura rippled with her slight movements as she waited for me to read the note.

_OMG! You're Sailor Moon! That's soooooo cool! My best friend is a super hero! We totally have to hang out during lunch. Kay? And don't worry, I'm not mad. I totally get why you hid your identity. Me being a danger magnet and all. Thanks for protecting me all those times! God, you're such an amazing friend!_

I nodded solemnly and heard a little squeal of delight to the desk to my right. Ms. Haruna didn't stop the lesson, barely acknowledging Naru. I couldn't help but notice that Ami was gone. Minako and Jupiter had filled the classroom instead. No matter how mean Ami was to me, it was still saddening to see her gone.

Lunch came soon after, and students crowded up to me. "Usagi! You're Sailor Moon!" "I can't believe it was you!" "Usagi, why'd you try to commit suicide?" That question cut to me deeply. It made my raw heart susceptible to weakness. I was slowly breaking down before the onslaught. "Usagi-" The questions cut off as Naru leapt in front of me.

"Give the girl some room! She may be Sailor Moon, but she's still Usagi!" She turned to me, a smile making her face light up. "Come on Usagi, let's go get lunch." I nodded, following her out of the frozen room. Umino followed us and Naru whacked him over the head with her head. "Umino! Stop being annoying! Leave Usagi alone."

I stoically stood there, waiting for the two to finish. After I dutifully followed Naru to the cafeteria. I walked through the door first and screams went up from the students. "IT"S SAILOR MOON!"

My eyes widened and I shrank against the door which, unfortunately for me, swung inward. I was stuck, Naru on the other side. She beat against it, trying to get in, but the flow of people against me was too strong. I looked around, no escape route visible. They shouted questions, but one cut through the rest time after time. "Usagi, why'd you try to commit suicide?"

I put my hands over my ears, closing my eyes. There were too many auras for me to process. I sank down to the ground, letting at the nameless faces pour words on my downturned face. "Hey, get the hell out of my way! Get away from her!" The Sukeban girl broke through, taking my hand. "She's our heroine and you people are doing nothing but stampeding her! Have some respect and move on!" That was the second time someone had saved me from the crowd today. The students looked at the tall, fierce girl and deciding against messing with her, quickly went back to eating their lunch.

"Thank you." I whispered.

She turned to me. "No problem. Thank you so much for saving me the other day. I hope you weren't hurt on my account. Everyone just ran away suddenly and I wasn't able to thank you. I'm Makoto Kino by the way."

"Come with me." I said, motioning also to Minako who'd stuck around. I finally turned to Naru who broke through the door and ran to hug me.

"Are you okay? I was so worried! Those stupid people!" She indignantly huffed at them before we left. The four of us went outside, behind the gym and after checking for auras and dispelling Umino in the front of the health center. He needed it after Naru hit him over the head with her book bag.

I turned to Makoto. "Makoto Kino, your strength isn't natural. Did you ever notice that?" She nodded hesitantly, confused at where I was going with it. "The reason you're gifted with such special skills is because you're not of this earth. You are Sailor Jupiter, Senshi of Strength."

Minako's and Naru's eyes as well as Makoto's widened. "I'm Sailor Jupiter? What do you mean?"

I took out her henshin wand from my skirt pocket. "This is your henshin wand." She hesitantly fingered it, looking from me to it constantly.

"Makoto, you have to be quiet. But say 'Jupiter Power Make Up'. Yes it's dorky, but don't blame me. I just deliver the thing." Makoto stood still for a second before gently saying her transformation phrase.

"Jupiter Power Make Up." She said.

* * *

><p>~Makoto's POV~<p>

_So I am an alien… I think. This is so confusing. I escape one school fighting and now I'm shoved into this one to continue fighting. Hmmm, could be worse. But does she seriously think I'm Sailor Jupiter? And why is she telling all these people?_

"Jupiter Power Make Up." I said, hoping that I'd make it out alive of this adventure. Green light started glowing and then I realized it came from me! As soon as it came, the light abandoned me, leaving me in a senshi fuku._ Green and pink. An interesting combination. But man is this thing short… And do they seriously expect me to run around in heeled boots? I can barely manage regular heels and then I'm not being attacked by some life-threatening monster! But this feeling!_ I flexed my muscles. _Such raw power. It's unlike anything I've ever felt._

Minako laughed. "Yes the costume's strange, but hey; it could be worse." She pulled out her own wand, flashing a cheerful "V". "Sailor Venus at your service. If you remember, I'm Minako Aino." _So Minako and Usagi are senshi? What the hell is going on here?_ The other brown haired girl- I think her name was Naru- looked just as confused.

"Wow." It was all her dazed mind could come up with. I couldn't blame her. I was just as freaked too. "So this is great and confusing and all, but where do I fit in?"

Usagi turned to her. "Naru, you're going to help them disappear and reappear without anyone figuring out their identities. I have to say, I made an awful lot of nurse excuses this year." She turned suddenly, her eyes closing automatically. "Damn, there's one out a bit. I don't think I can take care of it during lunch. Haruna-sensei will understand. Jupiter, Minako will take everything from here. For now, she'll teach you how to detransform. I have to go. I apologize for leaving you all so suddenly, especially after unveiling your identity."

I laughed, scratching the back of my head. "Don't worry about it. Soon enough, I'll be helping you with this sort of thing."

She nodded and was gone, leaping onto the gate and staring off before she vanished into the wind.


	11. Chapter 11: Entrapped

Intro:

Hey, it's me! And in case you haven't realized it, this is a new chapter!

Thanks to _inufan155687_,_ Hirume, Tsukiko Kaiba, Falling into the darkness, nxkris, _and _cherryontop_. Thank you guys so much! Thanks also to _Pretty in Pink 92, Kristina-Rose-Ivashkov, _and_ Angel-Demon1_ for adding this to their Story Alerts. You guys are amazing! And finally thanks to _starryice27, Rozgirl24, Kristina-Rose-Ivashkov, Chocolate strawberries, _and _Angel-Demon1_ for adding this to their Favorite Stories List. You guys are wonderful! Thanks sooo much!

Finally, I don't own Sailor Moon. Please read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Entrapped<p>

~Usagi's POV~

My opponent, a weird boxer thingy with decidedly good aim was not helping improve my day. Furthermore, it was another innocent turned youma so I couldn't kill it. Zoicite and Jadeite hung out on a large tombstone to my right. And oh yeah, we were in a graveyard! A freaking graveyard! Very cliché.

I danced out of the way again as the youma, Boxy, charged at me… again. At least it couldn't launch its arm at me like Gesen. I slipped over a headstone and he caught my chin, launching me into a tombstone, several feet away. The tombstone fell over and I laid, dazed at the base. He picked me up by the giant, unnecessary bow on my leotard and turned to the two relaxing. Zoicite laughed. "Take care of her. Beryl will be pleased if she's gone." Jadeite nodded, smiling. He waved at me in mockery.

I kicked the monster, knocking his chin back. He fell down heavily, still clinging to me. Laying a hand on his chest, energy flooded from me into the monster. I leapt back, my handprint seeming to sink into his skin. He fell to his knees, assuming the form of a priest before falling onto the ground.

"You!" I turned around, leaping towards them.

Zoicite smiled, holding an orange crystal in his hand. "Looking for this? Well, the crystal is ours! Just five more until the Silver Crystal will be ours!"

I nodded. "So that's what those things are." _Shit! The crystal is supposed to be for the Princess! We can't let those creeps get them otherwise we're so doomed! _

Jadeite decked Zoicite over the head. "What the hell are you doing, telling her our plans?" Zoicite rubbed the back of his head, glaring at his superior.

I took the moment of their distraction and swept towards them. "Moon Tiara Action!" I yelled as it hit Jadeite in the stomach. He fell from their levitated position, crashing into his previous seat. I leapt onto him, straddling him. I held the front of shirt, trying to interrogate him. "Why are you attacking us?" I asked, banging his head into the top of the tombstone in response to his silence. "Tell me why!"

Zoicite struck me in the back, in his hand a thorny whip. "Little girls are going to get hurt if they keep this up, Usagi." I leapt at him fiercely, forgetting about my captive. Zoicite struck out with his whip, which I neatly dodged. I jumped, running up the length of the rope like an anime character. I grabbed at his throat, pushing him down to the ground. He released the rope, letting it fly behind me. I choked him, screaming into his face.

Victory was so close yet it always remained just out of reach. The whip wrapped itself around my throat, cutting painfully into my flesh as I was pulled backwards. I scrabbled at the painful restraint, my fingers cut and bleeding. My eyes narrowed, not with anger, but as I opened my opened my mouth to grab more air it tightened. Of course that just made it more painful. Jadeite was laughing, his sound consuming me. I was falling into the noise, the endless harsh notes at my pain.

I gripped the rope with my hands, pulling it away from my neck. I gasped for air before my wrist became caught in there as well. It rubbed along the length fo the rope, slitting my wrist. I shook in fear, pressing my other hand to the bleeding flesh. My eyes widened in fear as I pressed against the wound, hoping to somehow stop the life-giving blood from leaking out.

_Maybe if I let it bleed, I won't have to live anymore. All the pain will go away. There won't be anything to haunt me anymore. Just peace._

I shook my head, banishing the suicidal thoughts. My neck tore with the thorns. I went down on my knees, trying not to notice the black spots swarming in front of my eyes. The bleeding wasn't stopping. Why was I getting so light headed?

_Am I going to die? They say that you have seconds before you lose too much blood! I have to protect Tokyo! Will my Lunarian healing help me? I have to get out of here!_

"Did we finally defeat the great Sailor Moon? She really is just a little girl. She's even kinda cute." Jadeite dug a foot into my back, pushing my face into the ground. Was that a rib that cracked, or something else? He drove his heel into my back, yanking back on the rope. I threw my head back like an animal and screamed, sonic blasts from my odangoes blasting through a nearby tree.

Jadeite blew my hair out of his face. "Your hair is really annoying you know. Maybe we should change that." Zoicite drew closer to me with scissors he had pulled from his sub-space pocket. He yanked on my hair, making the back of neck bleed harder. The only reason I was still alive was this stupid Lunarian healing. And with that, my head was released, my long golden hair set free to wander in the wind. Zoicite and Jadeite laughed maniacally, pleased with their torture.

_Should I really keep fighting? No one's here to help out this time. My protectors are all too far to hear and besides, half of them hate me anyways. After all it really is my fault. I'm the one who couldn't stop Jadeite in time. Just like now. I'm still just a weak, pathetic little girl. I'm sorry Tokyo. It looks like I won't be coming home after all. Sorry Mom, Dad, Shingo, everyone else. It looks like this is the end for me. I wasn't strong enough._

My brooch burst out in color, flaring out over my back. They were attracted to whatever was on my back. Oh yeah… Jadeite's foot. The ribbons covered his foot, climbing up his leg. "What the hell is this?" He tried to move his foot from my back, but he was stuck, entrapped in my power. I don't know what was happening, only that the world grew very dim.

I closed my eyes watching as Jadeite's flaming aura slowly faded away. But Zoicite's was still active, black snow falling upon the eternal black plane. _Am I unconscious?_ The pain stopped, turning my body numb. I could swear that something was glowing. Even through my closed lids, I could see it. It was a stark contrast to the black plane that I usually observed auras on.

I didn't focus on it for long. I couldn't. The darkness behind my eyelids overwhelmed me and I was thrown into the world of darkness.

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

She was in trouble. That's all I knew. And only after a couple of hours too! My lecture on rare blood-related diseases was fascinating and all, but I needed to get out of there. The pain in my head sharpened. I put my head between my hands, blocking out the noise. Sweat dripped from my forehead and I heard the person next to me say something. I just shook my head, trying to ignore the pounding pain in my head. Something was raking its claws through my consiousness. Some rose was diggining its thorns into my brain. _Usagi! What's wrong?_ Usually I could get a sense through our mental link, but there was nothing. She had just disappeared it seemed.

I opened my eyes, looking around to the lecture hall, focused on my face. The teacher was focused on me, his face a mixture between irritation and concern. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave." I gathered up my things, pressing a hand to my temple as I fled the room. I stumbled, my shoulder crashing into the wall.

"What are you doing, Usagi?"

A young woman moved towards me. "I warned you Mamoru. She'll kill you if you don't watch out." I looked up only to find Ami standing in front of me. She wore a blue sundress and had a stack of books in her arms.

"Mercury?" She nodded. "You're Sailor Mercury?"

"Does it really surprise you? Who else here has blue hair?" She asked, adjusting the glasses, resting on the bridge of her nose.

"What are you doing here?" I glared at her.

"I attend this school. Just like you." She said, pulling off the glasses on her face. They seemed to annoy her. "Does that surprise you?"

"Why did you leave middle school? Why are you here in college?" I asked, disbelief written across my face. She had gone from eighth grade to a freshman in college. This wasn't possible.

"This is where I should be Mamoru. A prestigious college where I have **nothing** to hold me back. I've been taking high school cram schools for awhile and I passed all of their tests. I was recommended to skip a couple of years and when I finally approached my mother about it she agreed. She knows a couple of people on the board so I was let in on a probation period." She seemed impressed with herself with the haughty smile she sported.

"I have to go. Usagi's in trouble." I said to the girl.

"Is she okay?" She asked in a low voice. Worry glinted through her eyes though it was nearly impossible to see.

"I don't know. She's in trouble of some sort, as Sailor Moon." I looked at the water senshi, hoping she felt guilty about abandoning Usagi.

"If she was a good fighter, she'd get herself out of it." She said, though she seemed slightly unnerved. She was shaken by Usagi's pain. Hadn't Usagi been one of her first friends?

"Did you know she fights more battles than you do? She often fights other youma before she gets to the actual scene." Ami lowered her head and I continued. "She used up so much energy, just killing those that she acted like a fool when she was in a position of real danger."

"Why didn't she tell us? She could have at least let us know! How come no one ever saw these?" She asked, desperation leaking into her voice. This girl was so desparate to... was it to prove herself right or was it save Usagi or just to figure out what was going on?

"Because she was too scared to say otherwise! You bullied her relentlessly until she didn't even want to tell you about everything else that was going on! It's your fault she's like this!" I instantly regretted my choice of words.

She didn't cry or pout or scream or yell. She just stood there, a sad smile gracing her solemn face. She seemed to give a little bit of a laugh before talking. "You're right. It's my fault. I can calm Mars down any time I want to; but I thought that for once, Usagi needed to shape up. She was late and Mars was so pissed when she thought you were dead. I was scared and I thought for once, I was going to stand up for what I believed in.

"Then we found out you were alive and I was so confused. I just did the only thing I could do; left. I transferred out of school because I felt there was nothing holding me back and because I couldn't bear to look at Usagi anymore. Every time I looked at her, I felt like my heart was being ripped out. Because I knew I betrayed her. Mars is in the wrong on this one, but I couldn't stand to be wrong. My own pride got in the way of my friendship with Usagi. Usagi won't forgive me any time soon and if I leave Mars…"

I watched as tears slowly dripped onto the floor beneath her. "Ami, you're smart. You'll figure out what to do. I have to go rescue Usagi now."

And with that I left her.

I ran through the building, the piercing pains in my head forgotten. _I have to go rescue her! She's probably on her own because everyone's in school!_

A graveyard was where I found her. She was lying against one of the tomb stones, a rope around her bloody neck, draped along the ground next to her. _Did they strangle her? What's that on the rope? Are those thorns? _Her blond hair had been cut off, several strands left among the trees. _Her hair! What did those damn sick bastards do to her? _Blood tipped the grass around her, a horrifying contrast. _Where is she bleeding from? Her neck? Was it from the rope? _Her back was bloody, a hole in her uniform. _What did they hit her with? I'm going to kill them! _Her right arm was free, blood coating the wrist. _THEY SLIT HER WRISTS? _

I raced towards her with red vision, leaping across the tombstones with abandon. The sudden pain in my side was blinding. Zoicite was laughing, as he reeled in his whip. This one had barbs specifically for ripping into opponents. "Welcome Tuxedo Kamen, or should I say Mamoru. One too many senshi let their tongue slip the other night. You wouldn't believe how distraught over you they were."

Jadeite blasted me the dark energy from the left. I skyrocketed into a tombstone, cursing my fate. It was two against one, no wonder Usagi was in such a bad state. I leapt up, throwing myself into a roundhouse kick against the first general. He went down, but before I could do anything else, the barbed whip caught my leg and I was pulled backwards until it worked its way out of my flesh.

I grimaced in pain, blood seeping down my pant leg. He came in to attack, but froze, his hand half-raised. He looked left then right, a confused expression on his face. "Prince Endymion, what is going on?"

The world seemed to pause. I felt strange, as if there was electricity running through my blood. "This is _**The **_Prince Endymion?" Zoicite asked, his whip seeming to move on its own.

"Well of course Zoicite, we're his generals." The feeling increased, until it felt like fire was consuming every inch of my body. "And what, pray tell, are you doing with that dark energy whip?" He asked, as if there was any reason he shouldn't have been.

"She got you! Damn it, you said you were fine!"

"Zoicite, you're acting most peculiar. Whatever are you doing with that weapon?" The speech was going right over my head. This guy sounded like he was directly out of a movie. "Master, what is he doing?" He turned to me.

"Wait, me?" I asked, pointing at my chest.

"Well of course, Prince Endymion. You're the Earth Prince. We're the generals, your subordinates. Has the world turned to madness?" He asked, exasperated at our confusion. Zoicite lunged at me and that was where things got messy.

He flicked his whip and caught my chest, tearing at my skin. I gripped the whip and stopped him, my strength greater than his. "Enough!" And then strangely the earth beneath him trembled and he ran for life.

Jadeite was frozen where he stood. Until he turned to me, his face a mask of fury. "You filthy bastard!" He raised his arm, firing dark energy. I dodged left, holding a hand to my chest in an effort to stop the bleeding. Zoicite turned around to examine his counterpart… until he was struck down by a flying blue streak of vengeance. She brushed off her legs as she stood, a determined look on her face.

Sailor Mercury.

* * *

><p>~Ami's POV~<p>

He just left me like that, beaten and broken. _I was wrong… I can't be mad at him. He just made me face the truth I was hiding from._ I breathed in and out, calming my frazzled nerves. I was angry, furious with the man who made me see the ugly truth. I was miserable, unsure of how to cope with this new issue. I was every color in between, a maelstrom of emotions struggling for balance. This tidal wave of confusion had been brought down upon me, but I was lost at how to float amongst it. I was entrapped within myself, fighting for survival.

There was only one thing left to do. The only thing that would free me from my internal torment.

I had to go after him and find Usagi. But the only thing was that I didn't know where he'd gone. I transformed, storing my books and the ones Mamoru had dropped in the sub-space pocket I'd recently figured out how to access. I pulled out the Mercury computer, transforming with my henshin wand. "Mercury Power Make Up!"

The transformation was over quickly and I set out, typing furiously as I tried not to run into any walls. It's harder than it sounds. A cemetery, out a bit. That was what my computer came up with. I was going to miss one of my classes. Oh well, this was more important anyway.

I sped through town jumping over houses and buildings. Determination flooded through my veins driving me forward. I dove off a roof in a perfect swan dive, causing screams from those below me. I saw a flash go off, a picture of my amazing jump. But they faded into the background. I was flying, the wind driving my hair back from my face. The moment seemed frozen in itself, paused only for this one perfect second. But then someone hit play and I flipped, landing on the lower building only to take off once again.

Wind whipped past me as I jumped, diving from skyscrapers onto the roofs of lower buildings. I pushed myself, running as hard and fast as I could, soaring through the sky like a bluebird. This was the only thing, this sensation that was holding off the melancholy that was reaching for my heart.

Slowly, my tall cement jungle gym thinned to the trees and grass. I sped along the road, my heart rate and anxiety picking up with each step towards the battle. My breaths came in quick succession, fighting to gain enough air for my oxygen deprived lungs.

Then I saw it… Him. His blondish hair was tied back in a ponytail; his eyes lit up in scorn. His eyes, alight with glee in the face of battle tipped me over the edge. I jumped as high as I could, slamming my foot into his perfect face. He flew a couple of feet, unprepared for me.

I stood up, brushing myself off of the dirt. I looked around, finally noticing the other general and an injured Mamoru nearby. I narrowed my eyes and prepared myself. It was going to be a long fight.


	12. Chapter 12: Awake

Intro

Intro of darkness to redness to whiteness! (Bless your face if you get the reference) Hey there, it's me. I know it's been awhil, but I have this one AP class that's giving me hell and I'm working through it... slowly. So updates are still erratic and horribly spaced and timed. Sorry. But here's a virtual plate of cookies to compensate. You'll only get the milk to go with it when you review.

Thanks to _SerentiyMoonGoddess, Falling into the darkness, b..worm, Hirume, Crystal (x2), _and _Tzukiko Kaiba. _You guys are totally amazing! Thanks for the support, especially you _Crystal_. Thanks also to _LunarroseBunny, liron-aria, Kitsune tenchi no Yami, _and _Hirume_ for adding this to your Story Alerts. Thanks for the awesomeness! And finally, thanks to _Shadeshadow _and _LunarroseBunny _for adding this to your Favorite Stories List! You guys are the pinnacle of supreme awesomeness!... But don't let it go to your head.

So finally, please read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Awake<p>

~Mamoru's POV~

She stood frozen for a second, Sailor Mercury. She was gazing at Zoicite, her eyes troubled. Something told me that the trouble was rooted much deeper and that she'd like to spend more time worrying about it, but we didn't have that kind of time. "Mercury!" Her attention snapped to me and then to Usagi, who she just seemed to notice. Mercury put a hand over her mouth before running to the girl. She was screaming Usagi's name over and over again, sobs clogging her throat. The poor girl.

Jadeite stood before me, his face torn between hatred and confusion. "What's going on?" He crouched down his head between his hands. I backed away, still clutching at my bleeding chest. "Master, what's happening?" He shook his head, his face changing into something arrogant and vengeful. "What did you do to Zoicite, you bastard?"

_What the hell did Usagi do to him? _

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

"Usagi!" Someone was screaming my name. It came from a distance, through layers and layers of padding.

_Who is that? Is that Ami? Don't be stupid, Ami's with Rei. She hates you, despises you even. Still, it sounds like her. Hmmm, I wish it was her._ My aura reading ability wasn't up yet, so I couldn't even check who it was standing over me. It could have been Mamoru or Jadiete and Zoicite waiting to resume their torture. _Wait, am I dead? Am I still alive?_ I became painfully aware of myself and the pain coarsing through every fiber of my very being. _How am I even conscious? Freaking Lunarian healing! _

I was furious. Once again, I had been denied death, that blissful relief. My secret suicide wish that would break the world. _Damn it! Damn it all to hell! And now I'm hearing Ami. What did I ever do to karma to piss it off so royally? _I opened my eyes.

"A-Ami?" The anger I felt vanished in an instant, angry flames being quenched in an instant. "What are you doing here?"

"Usagi, are you alright? I think the bleeding finally stopped. How are you even awake? They slit your wrists! I thought you were dead!" I sat up, a haze starting to weigh down my thoughts. I didn't have time to mess around. Jadeite was still here most likely. I'd been awake long enough for my aura sensing abilities to come back. I closed my eyes briefly, finding his, Zoicite's and Mamoru's auras. I fought against the haze as I opened my eyes once again.

"Jadeite and Zoicite. They're still here." I stood up with a jerk, wobbling like a drunk. I said my transformation sequence, walking towards Mamoru. _Oh Sweet Selene, he's injured because of me._ _I have to go help him. _"Mamoru!"

Jadeite turned to me, disappearing, only to reappear in front of me. He stared into my eyes, his nervous glance tearing me to shreds. Mamoru and Ami disappeared in a version of Rei's furious fire. The ground seemed to melt away, leaving me on an eternal black plane. Staring, just staring into Jadeite's deep blue eyes that mirrored my own. However, his contained an edge that sliced right through me. They were devouring me, testing me, taunting me, drowning me. Such hypnotic blue eyes. They whispered to me, pushing me towards my hand towards the tiara on my forehead. I gripped it, slowly whispering to myself and the eyes before throwing it with a careless gesture.

The eyes smiled and bore into me with a sudden intensity. I swayed under the stare and felt my knees start to give way. "Usagi!" Someone screamed my name and I tried to tear my eyes away from Jadeite's to look towards whoever called my name. But I couldn't. Those blue ponds pulling me in deeper, fighting for my attention, blocking off the outside world, holding me captive to its desires. Those beautiful blue desires.

"Kill them Usagi." The words bounced through my head, hitting some sort of chord in tune with my mind. I looked away from the eyes, though I could still picture them as they guided me forward towards those two strangers on the battlefield. I raised a hand, catching my sparkling Frisbee-like weapon. "Finish them." The eyes whispered in my head, pounding a C chord through my head. A haunting tune was weaving through the air, wrapping itself around me.

The man ran towards me and I cocked my head, looking at the strange attire he wore. I jumped away, flinging my tiara at him. He crashed into a headstone, blood running from his chest, now his head, my back, my neck, my wrist, running from everywhere. Dripping down upon my horror movie melody. It changed into a B flat key, striking resounding notes through my consciousness. Each pound on the piano sending a bright flash of blue through my vision.

The woman ran towards me, spiraling through the air as she leapt. I raised an arm, blocking her kick. I ducked a punch, kicking her jaw upwards, launching her backwards. I lost track of her when the man came barreling towards me. _Where is that damn tiara?_ Another chord banged its way through my head. The man with the eyes laughed cruelly. Names had been lost in the inferno, burning like paper. "It's always easier to gain access the second time. Even if you break her out, it'll be easier for me next time."

"Usagi, what are you doing?" An A flat scale eerily wafted through the air. I dove towards him and we became locked in the endless dance of two warriors. We pounded along; keeping beat to the chilling music spiraling through my mind. My back hit a tall headstone and he grabbed my shoulders. "Usagi!" He screamed. I cocked my head, wondering what he was doing. My tiara materialized on my head. I reached for it, grabbing it before he could. As I brought it back, he smashed my head against the headstone. _Who does this guy think he is?_ Then he gently put a hand beneath my chin, raising my face up.

I closed my eyes fiercely, waiting for the blow to my face to come, but nothing came. The eyes flashed through my mind again and the jarring melody picked up. Hot breath hit my face and I opened my eyes only to see the man press his lips against mine.

My eyes jumped open in surprise as sparks danced through my eyes. The tiara fell from my hand, falling softly to the grass. The fire raging through my mind disappeared and I grasped names and people. _Oh Selene, don't stop. _It felt so good just to be loved, to be held, after everything. Even if I didn't know who it was yet...

I looked into his deep navy eyes, so different than the cobalt that had surrounded me so recently. A familiar tune filed through my mind, echoing from what seemed thousands of years ago. _Mamoru? Mamoru is kissing me? _I didn't pull away yet, confused at what he was doing. It seemed trivial, but his breath was warm and incensed, making me dizzy. I went to deepen the kiss, but I paused, confused. _What just happened? _The last minutes had disappeared from my mind, flying out of my head uncerimoniously.

_What's going on? Why is Mamoru kissing me?_ I pushed him away slightly and he stepped away. I shook, scared at what was happening. "What's going on Mamoru?" Oh Selene, the blood was everywhere. His face, his chest, his arm. My neck, my back, my wrist, just above my eye. Blood was dripping everywhere. I took his hand into mine and felt that glow thread its way from my heart. I panted from exertion as the glow filled the field, a bright pink light.

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

Her lips were so sweet, like peaches. I could feel it as his grip on her slowly drained, but yet she didn't pull away. She had savored it, drawing in my breath. Oh Gaia, this felt so right, like destiny or something. I could feel the life stirring between us. The air crackled expectantly, an invisible tension seeming to descend. She leaned in for a second before her large eyes grew tormented and she pushed me away. I stepped away, guilty at overstepping my boundaries. "What's going on Mamoru?"

And then she saw the blood. The horrifying blood running from her and me, what we'd both inflicted on each other. The terrible burden we'd both put upon each other. She shook, reaching a tentative hand towards me. She gripped my hand tightly and then she began to glow.

I could feel the bleeding slow to a stop. And then the wounds began to close up and I regained my energy. I was being perfectly healed. _What is she? _The light faded and Usagi stood there, suspended. She was perfectly healed though she collapsed in my arms, exhausted. I laid her down against the headstone and turned to the threat, Jadeite. But he too had collapsed and once again I wondered. _What the hell is she?_

Ami was gazing at us when Zoicite hit her squarely in the back with a kick. He turned to me. "You son of a bitch, what the hell did you do to Jadeite?" If only I knew who my mother was.

In truth, I had no idea what the hell was going on at the moment. Jadeite was getting up, panting. "Master, is this really happening?"

"Not this again!" I yelled, frustrated beyond belief. "Are you good or are you evil? Make up your mind!" _Probably not the nicest thing to say…_

Zoicite was furiously glaring at me. He lunged at me, pulling a third whip from his sub-space pocket. Jadeite pulled out a sword from nowhere and stopped the whip. "What madness is this, Zoicite?" He was still trapped in the world where I was Endymion, the Earth Prince.

Jadeite used his free hand to grab the whip, pulling it out of Zoicite's hands. I ran, jumping up, to smash the heel of my foot into his face. Zoicite glared at us as he fixed his broken nose. "You'll pay for this Sailor Moon and you too Endymion." He sent one lingering glance towards Ami and disappeared in a flash of black smoke, a trademark sign that he'd run away.

Jadeite fell to his knees. "I'm free. I'm finally free!" Jadeite stared at his hands incredulously. "Master, I'm free!" I stared at him, confusion clouding my features. Ami ran up beside me, lunging towards the kneeling man.

"Shabon Spray!" She blinded us all, navigating her way through the mist towards me. She whispered urgently, the dense fog shielding her voice from Jadeite's ears. "Mamoru, we have to get out of here before he snaps again. Where's Usagi?"

"Princess Ami, is that you?" Jadeite's voice came through the spray.

* * *

><p>~Ami's POV~<p>

I reeled back slightly, looking at Jadeite, my eyes piercing through the mist. I could see him there, kneeling on the ground. "Who are you and what have you done to Jadeite?" I asked. _What the hell is he doing? Who is he considering a princess? Wait, is he talking about ME?_

"It was Beryl! You have to believe me, Beryl brainwashed me and the others! Has Zoicite attacked you previously? Is that why you don't trust us anymore?" He pleaded through the fog. I dispersed it, looking at him curiously.

"What have you ever done to earn my trust, you Dark Kingdom bastard? You brutally attacked my best friend. She could be dead for all we know! And-" Ami was cut off by the persistent general.

"The one who freed me! Where is she?" He asked, his eyes wide with pleading.

"Like hell, I'll tell you!" I crossed my arms, whipping out my Mercury computer. A few seconds passed as I scanned him. He was clean… He was CLEAN! _What the hell is wrong with this freaking computer? _"What the hell are you?"

Mamoru came over, placing himself between us, knowing I was about ready to throttle him at any given second. "Jadeite, what happened to you?"

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

"It was Beryl. She brainwashed us. That's why we were attacking you! I was freed when Sailor Moon unleashed her power. It's strong enough to rival even the Moon Princess's probably. She only undid half of it because she fell unconscious after the first time. But when she used her healing power, she freed me. You have to believe me, master!" Jadeite pleaded, staring at me with unyielding eyes.

I turned to Ami, who was typing furiously on her computer. "It says he's clean." She growled, typing furiously on the blue object. If only Usagi was awake, she'd know in an instant. But that wasn't a luxury we had. She'd probably unleashed so much power that she'd be out for a couple of days. I looked over at her and felt my anger rise at the cruel destruction of her hair. Never again would I be able to run my hands through her silky hair. _Come on Mamoru. Keep it professional. You kissed her to snap her out of Jadeite's hypnotism. Keep it together. _I shook my head, clearing my head of the strange thoughts.

_And if Usagi healed him thoroughly enough… I mean, she pretty much brought me back from the dead. She has the power to undo Beryl's spell most likely… And Ami's computer won't glitch. I mean it's like freaking impossible for that thing to glitch. Right?... But then again…_

"Take this!" He said as if it suddenly occurred to him. He pulled out an orange crystal. "It's a part of the Silver Crystal! She'll know what to do with it!" Curiously inspecting it, I could feel cool energy pulsing within it. _Ironic how part of the Silver Crystal is orange…_

Handing it to Ami, she scanned it also. "It's real. It's actually part of the Silver Crystal." The satisfaction and incredulity in her voice validated the fact. I turned to him, offering him a hand. "What are you doing?" She asked, disbelief lacing her voice.

"I'm helping our ally up." I said as Jadeite firmly gripped my hand. He stammered thanks as Ami tried to talk over him.

"This could be a ploy. Let's just take Usagi and the crystal and run!" She protested, fiercely opposing the idea.

I turned to her. "Do you trust Usagi's power or not?" Ami stopped her protests and lowered her head, shamefaced. "C'mon Jadeite. We should get Usagi to a hospital and get you something to wear other than… that."

He fingered his Dark Kingdom General uniform, agreeing with me. "It is somewhat conspicuous." Ami begrudgingly fell into step behind me as I walked towards Usagi. "What happened to her?" Jadeite asked, though he dared not to move towards her. Something about Ami warded him off. _Honestly can't blame him. She looks about ready to throttle him. _

"She used all her energy healing us. Don't worry, she should be up in a bit. She woke after an hour or so when healing an entire hospital. But then again, she did just undo Beryl's power. It could take awhile longer, especially after what you and Zoicite did to her when you were still evil." I made sure to add the preference in.

"Ami, head back to school. You've already missed at least half a class and no doubt you're on probation period. If anyone asks, you were helping me home." She nodded, sending one last glare at Jadeite before leaping off.

Jadeite exhaled, the tension dropping in a second. "Master, what's ailing her?"

"First thing Jadeite, you and the others have been attacking for something like two months. Of course we don't trust you. It's easy to keep a ruse, so for the time being, you'll live with me at my apartment to make sure you're not lying. Second, stop calling me master, it's really creepy. My name is Mamoru, just call me by that. Third, please stop talking like that. Language nowadays is much looser. I'll teach you how to speak so you don't stick out. Fourth, who is Endymion and why do you think I'm him?"


	13. Chapter 13: Reacting

Intro:

Hey guys, I'm back! So first of all, i'm really sorry for not updating for awhile. I've had Nanowrimo, a couple of deaths in the family, Christmas, and finals. This kinda just took a back seat for the while. But don't worry, I'm back!

Anyways thanks to _Crystal, Falling into the darkness, Tsukiko Kaiba, Nick Johnson, ShadowAngelBeta, _and _Hirume_ for reviewing. I'd especially like to thank _Crystal_. You're reviews really kept me on track and your last one really pushed me to finish. Thanks! Also thanks to _wantstobeacullen767, UsagiOMamoOChibiusa, ShadowAngelBeta, Neanda, Izanagi-no-mikoto, goddessofsorrow, DeceptiveQueenXD, _and _biganimefan84_ for adding this to your Story Alerts. Finally, thanks to _Yurrie, Penbrook525, Izanagi-no-mikoto, and _biganimefan84_ _for adding this to your Favorite Story's List! You guys are amazing!

So lastly, I don't own Sailor Moon. So remember to read, review, and enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: Reacting<p>

~Minako's POV~

"Where is she?" The Jovian -damn, I couldn't remember her name- now detransformed, kept muttering underneath her breath. I was trying to decifer whether it was because she was nervous of the upcoming battles or she was angry at her fate or if she was scared for Usagi. I think we were all scared for Usagi, acting on edge, especially Naru. She kept messing with her hair and certain other nervous mannerisms that were obvious to even the untrained eye.

"It's a youma battle and it's pretty far away. That's the only reason she's not here yet. She's sure to be fine." I said, trying to calm the other two. I swear, they'd have me running off to save her soon if they kept this up. "It's only been twenty minutes. Besid-" The bell rang, cutting off any other possibility for communication. "Come on, let's go." We got up, maneuvering our way out from behind the gym.

We headed towards the class, walking slowly. An uneasiness had come over me and I was terrified for Usagi. Something, it seemed, had gone terribly wrong. Would anyone even be there to help? _Jupiter and I are here in school and Mercury and Mars didn't even care anymore. And then there's Tuxedo Kamen. Will Mamoru be there despite the fact that he has college today? Well, he does have that link with her, so if I'm feeling uneasy, then he's probably feeling downright horrible. He must have gone to help her. She's probably fine._ I mollified myself with the thought, walking back with Makoto -Remembered!- and Naru. Perhaps things would be okay after all, but still. I'd probably end up making a trip to the hospital just in case tonight. I wasn't going to lose anyone else to something I could have helped with.

* * *

><p>~Jadeite's POV~<p>

Master -no, Mamoru was his name in this lifetime- was certainly acting strange. His manner of speech had certainly changed… or was mine just trapped in the past life we had shared? However, he seemed to disapprove of this so I would have to change it at one point in the future. More importantly, how could he not know who Endymion was?

"Mamoru, **you** are Endymion. Have you lost your memory? Is that why you do not know who you are?" Mamoru was silent for a few seconds before he spoke. However his eyes never left Sailor Moon's prone form. Why did he look at her like that, he was supposed to be in love with the princess! They were soul mates after all. _If so, does that mean that she is the princess? No, impossible. The princess was never a senshi. But where was Sailor Moon during the Silver Millenium then?_

"None of us have any memories from out past lives. If we did, we would be able to find the princess."

I blinked, torn from my thoughts. "Wait. You **STILL**don't know where she is? Isn't Princess Ami able to find her? Her readings should be off the charts!" If Zoicite was here, he would have found her in an instant.

"They tried, but Usagi's energy is interfering with the scans apparently. I only joined up with the group a couple days ago. At that point Mars and Mercury separated from the others. I'm on decent terms with Venus, shaky ones with Mercury, and Jupiter hasn't even been awoken yet. Mars, I can't even look at her anymore without wanting to..." Mamoru broke off, glaring at the ground in front of him as we continued walking. I couldn't help but gape. Conditions were that bad? When had Mars and Mercury performed this… this… coup d'état and why?

My fiery maiden. What had happened to her? Who was this imposter that was yet so clearly her? How could she abandon her commander so carelessly? How could she betray the Moon?

"Why?" I just had to repeat the question, the question running on repeat through my mind.

"Well, I defended Usagi from an attack and fell unconscious. They freaked out so much that they thought I was dead. The scouts, Venus not having been there, abandoned Usagi and blamed her for my "death." From there it was just a spiral downwards." At my motions he continued, looking down hesitantly at her. "She couldn't take it, so… she jumped off a bridge. Venus swooped in at the last moment and saved her. She hasn't been given a break yet. And while she was unconscious, suicide watch ran out, so she's on her own now. Then her identity got leaked and she just hasn't been given a break."

I shook my head in disbelief. "How… Who attacked you?"

Mamoru paused for a second before his face set into a mask of icy fortitude, one Kunzite would have been proud to have trained. "You. It was you who attacked us."

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I was walking. I was lost among the tombstones of the graveyard. Sitting down on the grass, I faintly wondered why I was still here. It could be taken a number of ways, each of which I contemplated as there seemed to be no rush for time. Why was I still in the graveyard, still alive, still next to the tombstone? I couldn't find a reason to move, so frozen by my own thought and inability to move, held captive by some immovable force.

The wind stirred, tousling my shortened hair. I fingered the jagged edges, hating the feel of caked blood intertwined with it. I fingered my neck and could feel the blood hardening beneath my fingers as my Lunarian healing prevented my death once again. The wind pushed around me, reminding of the pure power I had unleashed not long ago. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I almost didn't hear the piercing scream.

Rei's scream.

I hesitated for a second, fear clouding my already hazy judgment, and started running towards the sound. I stopped at the sight before me, my hand over my mouth. I'd failed again, not getting there again.

Jadeite was straddling Rei's stomach, a knife in his hand. He smiled at me mockingly, leaning over her arm one last time. She shrieked again, her back arching against his weight. "Stop!" I screamed. "Please stop!" Tears coursed down my cheeks, dripping down onto my bare feet. Dirt ran off the side of my feet, leaving tear trails in a bridge across my feet. I couldn't move, so paralyzed by fear and my own weakness. I fell to my knees. _Crap, I can't even move. I'm so scared, but he's hurting Rei. I have to help her. Move your feet you damn weakling. _After a moment of indecision, I stood up, running towards the man.

I jumped, tackling jadeite. As my hands made contact with his throat, he vanished into thin air with a flash of smoke. I didn't think over it too long, running to help Rei. Her breath was shallow, her pallor turning grayer with the passing seconds. "Rei…" Rei's arms were red with smeared blood, but I could still read Jadeite's words, engraved in her arms. A message for me to read.

"Too Late."

The lines were deep, cutting into at least the muscle. Rei wouldn't die, but she would get pretty close… and then she'd hate me even more. I'd failed again. _I'm so damn useless! I can't even save one person! _I was frozen in my miserable shame until the arms moved, Rei grabbing the front of my shirt. She pulled herself up to look into my face, spitting scarlet blood onto my face as she spoke. Her hair was wild, falling into her eyes, which were alight with internal flame. "You failed again Usagi. You're nothing but a failure. It should have been you." Her lidded purple eyes glared at me with a fierce intensity before she released her grip and fell unceremoniously on the stained grass.

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

"Me? I was the one who attacked you?" Jadeite was in disbelief. I turned my face away, allowing my subordinate (At least that's who he said he was) privacy. "That's.. That's impossible. I wouldn't be that weak. I couldn't be. It's impossible, inconceivable even. No…" He turned to me, but I couldn't look at him. "Then Mars and Mercury left because of my error? Because I was not strong enough to hold off that vile witch? That Beryl! She makes my anger burn with such a passion! Such a weak figure! How was I not able to hold her at bay and within the confines of my own mind?

"Why? How in Gaia's name could I have been so damn pathetic? That woman will suffer a fate worse than death when I meet her once again! That-" As if suddenly remembering I was there, he turned back to me. "Master, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to lose control in front of you." Jadeite grimaced at his own error, regret shining through his troubled eyes.

"Jadeite, it's fine. You need to relax. I don't know who I was to you in our past life, but we're not that formal now. Call me Mamoru and –"

I broke off as Usagi shifted in my arms, clutching at my shirt. She whimpered, her eyes tightening as if she was trying block out some ever painful image. She was murmuring under her breath, but I could hear every word of it. "Oh Selene, make it stop. Make it stop! Please! Make it stop!" At this point, Jadeite had stopped and was staring at her. He was concerned, that was easy to see, but it was strange to see him caring for what should have been an enemy.

I hugged her tightly to my chest, trying to somehow give her a calming presence, to anchor her to this world. I wanted so badly to take away the pain and vanquish all evil in this cursed world so that she might lay down her arms and rest like she truly wanted, but that was but a fantasy. For now, all I could do was try to protect her and hope she pulled through. "She'll be fine. She's survived worse than this in the last couple of days." Truth was, I was scared to death, but like I could tell that to someone who could still possibly be a villain or who was possibly my servant… or something. I still hadn't figured out what he was to me. _He probably thinks I'm some heartless bastard now._

Jadeite simply nodded, almost unconcerned it seemed. "I trust you completely, mas- Mamoru. If you say that she can withstand it, then I believe you. I am just concerned for her. I meant no disrespect."

"Jadeite, no need to apologize. You are completely fi–" I stopped as Usagi froze in my arms and suddenly opened her sightless eyes. They were glazed over, but that didn't prevent her from grabbing my shirt with her hands. She clutched at me, her nails ripping through the fabric in some areas. Her breath was quick and shallow, making her shake against me.

"Jadeite, can you teleport us all back? " Jadeite frown turned to a haughty smile. He was obviously a proud figure when he wasn't too busy groveling at my feet… which I really hoped he would stop doing.

"Of course, Mamoru. I would be honored to teleport the prince back. But haven't you remembered how to use your teleportation abilities? You used to use them whenever you wished to see Princess Serenity." I shook my head in negation and he nodded. He came over, gripping my shoulder and that of Usagi.

"Teleport us to the hospital and then find a place to hide. I'll check her in and then I'll go to my apartment. Meet me there and I'll find you something to wear." He nodded and we took off.

There was a feeling of ice cold before we landed next to the hospital. I looked to my left and noticed that we were alone; Jadeite had disappeared.

Usagi stirred again in my arms, shaking her head from side to side. She closed her eyes again, shrinking further against my chest. What was going on her head? What cruel nightmare was she trapped in, so soon after the last battle? I walked into hospital, bracing myself for the onslaught of nurses who would take Usagi away. It was much more collected since the last time she'd been hospitalized.

"Excuse me ma'am," I began as I walked up to the receptionist, busy on her computer as she looked over paperwork. "Could you-" She looked up at the sound of my voice and saw who I was carrying. She held up a hand to cut me off and picked up the phone to her left and spoke over the intercom.

"Doctors Brent DeFranco and Haku Nagasaki, could you please come to the emergency room with a gurney." The receptionist hung up the phone and turned back to me with a concerned look. "How bad was it?"

"They double teamed her. I got there too late to do much for her. But she healed me and herself after she got hurt, so the damage isn't too bad. Don't know what we're going to do about her hair though." The woman nodded knowingly. A few moments passed before the two doctors came through the door, tugging a gurney behind them.

I laid Usagi on the gurney and wordlessly followed the doctors, explaining the situation to them as we rode int he elevator. "She's not exactly hurt, but she'll be unconscious for awhile. I mean, she kinda healed an evil general." The doors opened and we broke into a slight run through the hallways. Haku turned back to me as we briskly jogged with Usagi's gurney. I'd gotten acquainted with the doctors during Usagi's last coma.

"You're serious? I thought those guys tried to kill her!" He said, looking at me in disbelief.

"Well they did, but they've been put under a type of hypnotism by the evil queen Beryl. Usagi basically undid that and then she healed me and herself as well, so she'll be out for awhile." I said, jogging through the halls with purpose as I followed the two men.

"What was the extent of the injuries she had before she healed herself and you?" Brent asked, not even bothering to look at me. He kept his calm attitude plastered on the outside as his mind probably flew through the different procedures that probably needed to be done.

"Slit wrist and neck so she lost a lot of blood. Lunarian healing kept her alive on that one. There was a hole on her back, where it looks like one of the generals dug his foot into the spot. That's about all I could see, but here may be more internal damage." I recited, going off what I'd learned so far.

"Haku, let's get her an X-Ray first, see if there's any more damage to her back or to her skull. We have to make sure there's nothing that she overlooked. Kamen, go get yourself checked in as well, have to do the same thing for you as well." Brent said and they turned down a hall. I slowed to a walk and eventually stopped at the turn and watched her get farther and farther away from me.

When they turned down another hall, I began slowly making my way out of the hospital. I turned away from the place and snuck into a nearby alley. After making sure no one had seen me, I transformed back into Mamoru Chiba and began the trek towards my apartment, curious about my meeting with Jadeite.

_So I am Prince Endymion of Earth… Or at least that's what Jadeite says. Is that why I caused that earthquake underneath Zoicite? I assume that was my fault then. But how? Why me? And where does Jadeite fit into all this? Is he like my servant or something? Can I really trust him?… _

I'd arrived home without even realizing it. I took a deep breath at the door to my apartment and fished the key out of my pocket. I held the key, hand shaking slightly and put it in the lock. Tentatively turning the key, I pushed my way into apartment and there waited Jadeite.


	14. Chapter 14: Blank

Intro:

Hey guys, I'm back! And I hit the 40,000 word mark! This is actually really exciting!

First of all, thanks to _Falling into the darkness, MAKOVIL, Starrlight1812, Crystal, James Birdsong, Suzumiya-sama, _and _Tsukiko Kaiba_ for reviewing. You guys are awesome and encouraging and always give me fuel to write faster! Thanks so much! Thanks also to _PSVT _and _Riderpool_ for adding this to your Story Alerts!

I don't own Sailor Moon sadly, but I own this story.

Alright, so please read, review, and enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 14: Blank<p>

~Mamoru's POV~

"Jadeite." I said his name softly as I opened up the door to my apartment. He stood at the glass doors leading to the balcony, looking at the city, looking at how much had changed since he'd last seen Earth. His fingers were pressed up against the glass, holding him to the spot.

"Where am I?" He asked softly, the proud figure gone with his confusion.

"Tokyo, Japan. On Earth." I replied, hoping that he would at least feel a little better knowing he was still on Earth. If the names Tokyo or Japan meant anything or nothing to him, he didn't say.

"How long has it been?" He didn't even bother facing me. He was just watching the traffic go by down on the street with hopeless eyes.

"It's been at least 2000 years… if not more. We're not exactly sure of the time gap." I moved over to the kitchen area, starting the coffee pot on a sudden whim. It had been a long day, not only for Jadeite, but for me as well. I was going to need some coffee if I was going to see Usagi at the hospital later. After a tense second of silence, I asked, "Do you remember anything from your time with Beryl? Anything that might give us the upper hand?" I'll admit it, I was desperate to find anything that could help me beat her.

Jadeite leaned his forehead against the window pane, but I wasn't too worried about the smudge marks. "It's a blank slate, wiped clean. I have no idea what has happened. I cannot give you the tactical advantage, though it we are battling the other Shittenou, I will be able to help." Jadeite became silent after that, obviously hurting below the surface, probably from his helplessness or the prospect of fighting the other Shitennou, no matter how evil. Could he even fight anymore? The public would probably still hate him, especially after what he'd done to Usagi. Especially after that.

But there was something else, something lying underneath the immediate surface. "What else is wrong, Jadeite?"

He looked back for a second, a look of surprise turning to a smile. "You always could read me best, Endymion." I didn't bother correcting him on the name, too intrigued by what he would say. "It is Princess Rei. I just can't comprehend how she could cut her ties so easily. Doesn't she remember that the Moon is meant to rule? Doesn't she remember her duty? Doesn't she remember… me…?" He paused another second, shaking his head.

"Please forgive me, I did not mean to take advantage of your good graces. There has to be a limit to even your kindness. I'm simply over thinking things. After all, she knows me not as your general in this lifetime. Perhaps, it is for the best then." He nodded to himself, trying to reject his life and love.

"General?" I asked, trying to distract from his thoughts of Rei. "So that's what you were to me then, my General?"

Jadeite nodded, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he reminisced over what could never be again. "Yes, I was the master of tactics if you could believe that. But mostly it was a group effort between us and the other Shittenou. We used to stay up into the early hours, planning strategies in the great hall while the chefs brought us food and your parents tried to get us to sleep.

"Nephrite would predict things for us with his stargazing. He was always right except when it came to Jupiter. That one planet always threw him for a loop it seemed; and then so did the girl." Jadeite chuckled and slid down the wall. He looked lifeless, the way he was just staring off into space.

"Zoicite would work for hours on the same experiments, to the point of obsession. We'd finally haul him out of his room -more like a lab really- and send him to Mercury. She and her planet always knew how to distract him for awhile. Of course, he probably just worked on more experiments with her up there. I heard that he had is own lab up there from Rei.

"Kunzite, well he was a case of his own. You were the only one who could remotely keep him smiling… Until he met that Venusian princess. She was loud and happy, but she knew her duty. She was a feisty one, that Minako. She rejected me every time I tried to court her, saying I was too prideful for her taste. I later found that Martians were prettier." Jadeite smiled solemnly. "But Gaea, Kunzite loved her. He would always sneak off to meet her after a hard day's work, but of course you always managed to look the other way.

"And then there was you, the impenetrable heartless prince who was sought out by many a princess. But you'd only have the one who didn't come running to you immediately, the Princess of the Ethereal Moon, Serenity. She would hide from you at every ball, her demure eyes teasing yet genuinely afraid of your cold front. Rei would slap me when I would sneak up on her and push her towards you." Jadeite rubbed his cheek, as if still feeling her hand connect. "But in the end, it was Minako who knew you two were destined for each other. You had captivated her by the end of your first dance.

"She was always sneaking to Earth to look at the blue skies and wander the castle, hoping to bump into you. She always did for the rocky surfaces of Earth were strange to her feet. It wouldn't surprise me if she was still clumsy now." _So that's where she gets it from. _I chuckled at his words.

"Oh, she is." I smiled kindly at the general, clearly no longer the dark general I remembered so clearly. At some point during his speech, I had stopped believing him a farce. Was it when he spoke so fondly of his time of Earth or of my times with Usagi? But either way, he could no longer be the cruel man trying to kill me. "Come on, let's see if any of my clothes fit you and we can have coffee later."

Jadeite got up, brushing off his uniform. And though it was a sign of his evil past, he looked at it with pride. I guided him towards my closet, flinging open the doors. I reached in, pulling out a pair of dark jeans and the first shirt I could get my hands on, and throwing them on the bed. We'd figure something out later, but right now I just needed to make him passable. However Jadeite peered through my arms.

"Mamoru, who bought you that hideous jacket? You should dispose of it immediately." I turned to him as he pulled out my green jacket. My _favorite_ green jacket. I didn't say a word, just allowed him to shove it back in my closet.

The coffee machine beeped, signaling that the coffee was ready. "Find something to your liking if you don't want what's on the bed, but make sure to wear some blue jeans." I pointed them out to him as the machine beeped incessantly behind me. "I'll get the coffee."

"Sugar, no milk." Was all he said as I left the room. I made the coffee, pure black for myself, as he changed. I turned around to find him sitting on the couch. He thanked me for the cup and drank deeply, before coughing suddenly, gagging slightly. "What is this?"

"It's coffee." I said, holding my mug in confusion.

"This vile thing is not coffee! What did you make the brew out of?" He put the mug down on the coffee table. Oh, if coffee wasn't the same as back then, I couldn't wait to see what else had changed for him.

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I was still there, in that spot nestled among the tombstones. It was like I had never moved in the first place. But I could still feel my shirt, where she'd gripped me. When her cold lifeless hands had finally dropped to the earth, I'd backed away, too frightened at my own weakness to do anything. That was all I could do lately. Run away.

Bloody fingerprints still remained on my skin. Her fingerprints had seemed to sink into my chest, a permanent reminder. She was always reminding me of something I had done wrong. I could still feel her burn from when she'd attacked me.

I shivered against the cold, staring up at the sky. I rubbed my arms watching my white breath against the dark cloudy sky. I looked down, nestling my head in the small space between my knees. Small bare feet appeared in front of me. I looked up, blue eyes peering into mine. I looked away, not able to face the person in front of me.

Ami.

She sat down next to me from the sounds of it. I didn't really care anymore. At one point I might have, but that'd ended when I'd seen her at the battle. I'd been so happy to see her, desperate for her to like me. It was pathetic really. "Hello Usagi." She said quietly, formally. Oh how she must have been relishing at how far we'd drifted.

I looked away, dread descending over me. "Why are you here?"

"No hello? My, how you've changed. I'm just here to say hello to an old friend. Guess that option's shot then," Ami said. I could visualize her face. The confused expression she got when trying to figure out an intense problem. The problem that was me. I was nothing but a problem to her anymore.

"Since when was I your friend?" I laughed. I couldn't help it. Ami was calling me her friend. She hated me. She would kill me if she got the chance. "You're the one who left me. You don't want anything to do with me."

"Yeah, I guess you would be angry. You have every right. I made some stupid mistakes. I'm here to apologize. I was stupid, I trusted Rei when I shouldn't have." Was she apologizing? Was she kidding me? Who did she think I was? I got up. This was just sick. I knew I should be jumping at the opportunity. Like hell would I do that! I wasn't that stupid girl everyone knew anymore.

How desperate I had been on the battlefield. It must have been pathetic, how I leapt at the chance for her to like me again. But not again. I was going to break this and make it a clean one too.

"Goodbye Ami." I looked away, closing my eyes, not even bothering to face her. She didn't deserve it anymore. I walked a short distance opened my eyes and took in more darkness, nothing but blackness that seemed to stretch on forever.

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

I paced through the elevator, flowers in my arms from a couple of fans outside. Usagi certainly was popular nowadays. Ami burst through the door; well, Sailor Mercury burst through the doors just as they were closing.

"How is she?" She asked, still unsure of whether she should be there.

"She's fine." I said, still trying to believe that myself.

She was not okay.

It had been a week. And she was still in a coma. They weren't sure how long it would be before she woke up. So far the Dark Kingdom had only tried one attack and Rei had taken care of that one. That bloody bitch.

She'd attacked it. Killed it.

He'd been some boy who'd fallen in love with Ami. And she'd killed him. Then she claimed it was better because there was no chance of him escaping. Because she'd killed him.

He knew what was happening too. He'd run to Rei for protection because Zoicite was after him, thinking she would help him. He was friends with Ami after all and she'd be at college at that time. Rei had taken him and when Zoicite turned him into Bunbo, she'd turned around and killed him. While he still knew what was going on. He'd begged her to stop. And she killed him.

I'd seen it all, trapped in a crowd, stuck as Mamoru Chiba. Changing into Tuxedo Kamen would have done nothing to stop it, except reveal my identity. And that was not an option yet. If Usagi got this much publicity, I would certainly get a imilar amount and I needed to be able to move freely. And so, the Dark Kingdom had a shard of the Silver Crystal and Usagi had lost a classmate.

Ami waved a hand in front of my face. "Mamoru, are you okay?" I blinked for a second, shocked out of my thoughts.

"Um, fine. Just worried." I said, pushing off an answer.

"Worried about Usagi or…" Her voice quieted dramatically. "Rei?" I just shook my head in response. She nodded solemnly and we were quiet for the rest of the ride. We quickly navigated the halls towards Usagi's room, the path so familiar by now that I could have done it blindfolded. I knocked on the door before hearing the muffled "Come in" from Brent.

I pushed open the door and there she was. She was facing away from me, her palm on the window. She was staring out into the sky, lost in thought.

"Usagi?" I asked, stepping forward hesitantly.

"Hello Mamoru."

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

I didn't bother looking, I could feel their auras blaze in front of me. One earthen red, decorated with roses. The other, an icicle, slowly melting at her feet. "Hello Ami."

How fate loved to play tricks on me, bringing me the very person that betrayed me. But the pulse of her aura was low, showing she wasn't here to fight. She was here to apologize.

She'd be in for a surprise.

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

"Usagi, are you okay?" I asked hesitantly. I examined her right hand, dangling at her side, blood flecking the nails. I could see bloody fingerprints on the windows.

She turned around, shaking slightly.

She was not okay. Panicked scratches lined the sides of her face, clearly not the cause of the damage, but a response. A response to the blank eyes staring into the space in front of me, not taking in my face.

Usagi Tsukino was blind.


	15. Chapter 15: Shielded

Author's Notes:

Hey guys! It's been awhile, but I'm back! So on to the the thanks, because you guys are all just so awesome.

First, thanks to _nxkris, Suzumiya-sama, anime lover, Lover11Anime, Lover11Anime, BlueLion, _and _Tsukiko Kaiba_ for reviewing. Second, thanks to _Suzumiya-sama, Silver Fox 22000, Moonlight Bushido, little princess of mercury, Willowsle, HatchetChu, _and _BlueLion_ for adding this to your Story Alerts! Finally, thanks to _Willowsle, MoonlightBushido, Beautiful Storm Dancer, Silver Moonlight-81, _and _Lover11Anime _for adding this to your Favorite Stories List! Thanks so much to all of you!

And finally, I don't own Sailor Moon, sadly. Please remember to read, review, and enjoy! And on to the story:

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: Shielded<p>

"Usagi? Are you okay?" I asked again, rather stupidly I'll admit. But I was a bit in shock, give me a break. Usagi made no response before turning back towards the window, stuck in the same staring position as before. She didn't even seem to register that I'd spoken to her. Brent finally spoke, looking at her, trying to somehow understand what was going on in her mind.

"We don't know what happened," He began, still looking at her. "She was awake by the time I got here. Haku had taken night shift, but in the middle of the night she woke up. She started muttering about auras and whatnot, then moved over there, but we haven't been able to get her to go back to bed. She's just been standing there for hours." He crossed his arms, frowning as he thought. "We would sedate her, but she's practically immune to whatever we throw at her." Brent finally looked at me as if I knew something that could help, but I was just as lost as he was.

I moved towards her and she shifted, staring at my face despite the fact she could no longer see it. But she knew where I was, where all of us were. She could still see, just not through her eyes. "What can you see, Usagi?" I asked, terrified for a second of what she would say.

She quirked a smile, but it was devoid of any real emotion. It was just a show, just like the rest of her life had been up to this point. She'd let us see what she wanted us to see. "You're heart is beating rapidly and your hand is shaking." I looked down, she was right. I hadn't even realized. "Do I scare you Mamoru? I can't see you, you know, but I can tell you everything about you.

"And Ami," she said, turning to the bluenette with empty eyes. "I can see her too. I can see her low heartbeat, but it's speeding up. She's nervous too because she wants to apologize." Ami sucked in a hesitant breath, unsure of what to say. It didn't matter, Usagi filled in the words for her.

"Your apology is meaningless. You are not welcome here." Her voice was flat, seemingly emotionless; she'd shut down again. She didn't want to have to deal with the traitor in her room. It was her twisted way of coping, pretending like it didn't matter. But it did. It always mattered more then she let us see.

Ami froze. In one fell swoop, Usagi had simultaneously revealed her identity and denied her any hope of forgiveness. She was shaking. She didn't know how to react. Should she be furious? Probably. But all she could do was stand there, frozen to the spot. "Usagi… Usagi, I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I made a mistake, sided with the wrong person. Usagi, you have to understand–"

"I'm sick of trying to understand! GET OUT!" Usagi screamed, her eyes closing against the wind that swept through the room. It continued gusting for a second, before Usagi took a deep breath, focusing her pointed gaze at Ami. "I said please leave." Her voice was monotone again; she was hiding. She didn't want Ami to see. She didn't want me to see. She didn't want anyone to see. She knew she was weak and she was trying to hide it, her last defense against the cruel world she'd been thrown into. But she was wavering, her defenses breaking down, cracking along the seams. And we both knew it.

Ami finally broke the tensions and walked towards the door. She opened the door slowly and exited, salty tears leaking from the corners of her azure eyes. She looked back before slamming the door shut and bursting into sobs on the other side. I could hear her wails of agony on the other side as she walked away. She'd wanted so bad to be forgiven to finally do something right.

"Usagi!" I roared, turning to her, eyes blazing in anger. The ground rumbled beneath me, but I didn't care at the moment. All that mattered was how Usagi had changed. Had changed from the loving little fourteen-year-old I liked to pick on to... to... this. "How dare you! She came to you, begging for forgiveness and you turned her away!" Usagi turned her face away, back to the window. "Do you even care anymore?"

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

He asked me if I even care anymore. Of course I cared. I cared about all the freaking citizens of Tokyo and Japan and the world because that was my job as Sailor Moon. I put my life on the line for them because that was my job as Sailor Moon. I went out every day and kept enduring this hell for them. Because that was my job. Because I had to.

But did I _really_ care?

Probably not.

From then until forever, it was just going to be me as Sailor Moon. With the extended lifespan of a Lunarian, who knows how long I could live? They'd all be gone before then. No one would live as long. Everyone was going to die before me. I would be alone.

Maybe it was just better if no one was around. There'd be no one to lose.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "Of course I care." I said in response, not exactly sure how much time had passed while I was thinking. "But I let her in. I trusted her and she nearly killed me." I said, flattening myself against the back walls of my shield. Couldn't let him see how fragile I was. Who knew what he'd do with it? Betray me like Ami and Rei? Wouldn't even trust me like Minako?

"She came begging for forgiveness. The least you could do was think it over." He said, his earthen aura pulsing wildly. He was pleading with me, his voice taking that sharp edge. "I thought she was your friend!" He'd switched to accusing, trying to break me down, crack me however he could.

But that had been before I'd had a chance to think it over. I never knew what was going on. I was thrown into battles too numerous to remember and I'd woken confused and dazed. And there she'd been. What else was I supposed to think? "She was. And then she betrayed me. She may be a Senshi, but that doesn't mean I have to want her as a protector."

"She saved your life on that battlefield!" Mamoru yelled, his aura spiking an unearthly gold. The earth rumbled around me wildly again, and I could hear Brent nervously breathing.

"Calm yourself. You'll tear this place apart." I said, sinking down to my knees. Exhaustion rippled around me like a cloak. "Leave." I couldn't handle much more and he knew it, but he was going to keep pushing me until he finally broke through. Mamoru took a couple of cleansing breaths and calmed the earth shaking beneath us.

"Usagi, Ami's done more for you than you realize!" He said nevertheless, trying to reach me in any way possible. Fine. If that's what he wanted, that was what he'd get.

"Then show me! I can't trust her anymore! I can't trust anyone!" I screamed, not even caring that he'd finally gotten to me, broken through. "I can't believe you, trying to tell me what to do!" I said, a mix of incredulity and shock on my face. He actually believed he could talk to me that way? "You're the reason I'm in this disaster! If you'd just let me take the brunt of it, I wouldn't even have to be here! You'd be off doing whatever the hell it is you do! And I'd be dead, finally getting some freaking peace!"

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

Oh. My. Gaia.

I finally broke the shield and this is what comes out. "Usagi… I don't know–"

"That's right!" She yelled, standing up as she leaned against the glass. "You don't freaking know! You wanted to see what was hiding underneath? Well here it is!" She was yelling, tears streaming down her cheeks. Wind built up in the room, the pressure fluctuating rapidly.

"It's okay, Usagi!" I shouted over the wind, attempting to reach her in any way possible. And then the maelstrom cut off, leaving Usagi standing there.

"That's why I can't forgive her." Usagi said, looking blankly past the newly reconstructed shield around her heart. The heart that blamed me for this. That was so terribly right.

"Usagi?" I asked quietly. She was gone, I'd lost her. And it was all my fault. I had so cruelly made her break, just so my curious little eyes could figure out what was underneath. I had caused all of this with my so called "heroics." Just so that she might not die. But she had. Just not in the way I thought she would have.

"I told you. Leave." Usagi said, holding her sides. "Please go away. You'll all leave me anyway. I'll live the longest, be the last one here. That's how it's always been. So just go. Just leave." She turned away, leaning her forehead against the window pane.

* * *

><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

"I told you. Leave. Please go away. You'll all leave me anyway. I'll live the longest, be the last one here. That's how it's always been. So just go. Just leave." I hugged my sides. I couldn't lapse control, but he had to know. I had to get him to leave. I just needed to think for a little, sort out my thoughts a bit.

And then warm arms surrounded me, pulling me towards their owner in a comforting hug. "Usagi, I will never let you be alone." I wanted to hate him, to yell at him. He'd caused this, but… I couldn't. I was trying to leave the barriers up, to prove to myself that I could withstand anything, but they kept crashing at my feet, piles of shattered rubble.

His chest was a safe haven from Rei Hino and her flames. Far from Ami Mizuno and her complexities. Far from a world that didn't understand. He was just there when I needed him. And oh, how I wanted to hate him for it, but I couldn't. I was just too weak again. "Mamoru, I-"

"Usagi, calm down. Everything will be alright." Mamoru said, trying to reassure me. I tried to believe that they were just the empty promises they were, but he made them seem real, as if everything would really be alright.

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

She relaxed as I hugged her, muscles uncoiling as she finally realized I meant no harm. She slumped against me, asleep for the first time in awhile.

"Brent, I'm going to take her with me. She needs to be away from the paparazzi and just sleep for a little while." Brent's face was conflicted as if arguing with himself. He trusted me, but even I knew this was pushing it.

"That… I… Take her." He said finally, hanging his head, obviously ashamed with himself. It was going against all of his medical training, yet he was letting his patient go. His face drained of color and he leaned against the door heavily. What was he going to tell the supervisors?

"I'll keep an eye on her. I am a med student, so I think should be able to know if anything's wrong." He nodded, gaining a little bit of color back from his pale face. "Thank you." I continued, nodding my thanks. Part of the problem was that Usagi hadn't been sleeping enough. She was running on sleep deprivation for the most part and she couldn't think clearly or give her best at everything.

I hooked her knees over my arm and carried her bridal style out of the door. Brent went in front of them, warding off any unwanted questions with medical excuses. The media was gone for the time being, so the typical camera flashes that seemed to follow me everywhere we absent. The media was good, but they still didn't know how to jump over rooftops. Gaia knows what I would do the day they figured out how to.

I quickly leapt across the rooftops to Usagi's house. Knocking on the door, loud footsteps moved towards the door. After a second of silence, which I assumed was being used to check through the peephole, the door swung open.

Kenji Tsukino stood at the doorway, slight shock on his face. "Come in." He said, not even bothering to mention that his daughter was sleeping in my arms. His face was haggard, dark circles beneath his eyes as if he hadn't slept much. He probably hadn't.

"Usagi!" Shingo shouted as he came into the room. I walked into the house, making a beeline for the closest couch. Laying Usagi down, Shingo ran up the stair, most likely to go get a blanket for her.

"How is she?" Kenji asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I finally got her to realize that the whole world isn't after her. She might get better now." I said, hoping that that was true.

"I just feel bad I wasn't here when she really needed me." Kenji said, watching his daughter with sad eyes. "I came back a couple of days after she um... jumped... and just missed her. I haven't seen her since the accident except on TV… Did she really?" He asked, breaking off.

I nodded, allowing him to compose himself. "Thank you for taking care of her since." He said, offering a hand. I took it, shaking it firmly.

"She's asleep for now, but it should help. She's mostly been unconscious, so she hasn't been able to rest like she needs. This should help her think more clearly and improve her fighting abilities, so things like this won't happen as much again," I explained. Kenji nodded, taking it all in stride. He was a reporter after all; he knew how to handle situations.

"Mr. Tsukino, may I come again tomorrow, once she wakes up?" He hesitated for a second. "I need to check on her to make sure that she's okay. Just let her rest tomorrow. Don't let her go to school or fight youma. I'll take care of it somehow."

"Who are you as a civilian?" And then I realized, I was still dressed as Tuxedo Kamen. I detransformed, tucking my rose into my pocket.

"I'm Mamoru Chiba." Kenji paused, eyeing me strangely. "Yeah, I was the guy who they thought had died. I'm… Sorry about this." Kenji nodded in what I hoped was understanding. Did he blame for all that had happened to his daughter? I honestly wouldn't put it past him, but I certainly hoped he didn't. "Mr. Tsukino, there's one more thing I have to tell you."

He looked up, his tired eyes more alert as he realized that I had to tell him something important and that he probably wasn't going to like it. "Your daughter this afternoon… We don't know what happened… It's just…"

"Just say it already. I'm sure I can handle it." Kenji said, crossing his arms. Shingo ran up beside him, satisfied that Usagi would be okay for a couple of seconds.

"Usagi is blind."


	16. Chapter 16: Cold

**Intro**

Hello there everyone! I know it's been a long time since I've posted a chapter, and I could bore you with excuses, but I shan't keep you from the story for much longer. But during the break, something extremely awesome happened. This story had its first birthday!

And some thanks are in order! Thank you to S_uzumiya-sama, Mamoru Fangirl, _and _Crystal_ for reviewing. Thanks also to _dmindy87 _for adding this to your Story Alerts! And finally, thanks to _ , serenity-oniisan, Sailor Heart 01, Sailor Rallison, Penbrook 525,_ _ , _and _dmindy87 _for adding this to your Favorite Stories! i love all you guys and thanks for the continuous support.

So please read, review, and enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 16: Cold<p>

~Shingo's POV~

"What?" Dad asked as he heavily sat down in the chair nearest to him, eyes widening with disbelief. "How is this possib-"

"Go away! You're lying!" I said, closing my eyes. I couldn't even stand to look at Mamoru. He had to be lying, it was the only explanation. This wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. It just couldn't! "Usagi can't be blind! She's perfectly fine! You don't know her; she'll be fine! She can heal anything. She didn't die when she tried. She's fine!" I tried to reassure myself, telling myself over and over again that he was just lying. Hot tears ran down my cheeks as I struggled to come to terms with Usagi's blindness, with the idea that she couldn't cure everything.

"Shingo." Dad said, trying to get me to stop. "We will simply have to see when she wakes up." Dad sighed, massaging his temples like he always did when he was stressed. He'd only gotten home a couple of days ago. He'd spent the last couple of days working out things with the authorities over who'd been taking care of us. I couldn't really understand all of it since he'd shoved me out of the room for most of it, but it must have been bad if they threatened to take us away. "Ikuko, where are you when I need you?" In truth, she was still at the hospital, still in her coma. Her condition didn't look good. I'd seen her charts while Usagi was still at the hospital and the doctors had explained them to me.

"Daddy, Shingo." I looked over to see Usagi grasping at the doorframe as she tried to keep herself standing. She kept her eyes closed, probably just because she was tired. That was it, she was tired. Mamoru had even said so. She could see with her eyes. She was just… tired, that's all.

"Usagi, go back to sleep." Mamoru said, trying to insist she go get some rest.

"Usagi, you can see me, right?" I said, running over to hug my older sister. She was fine. She had to be fine. Nothing could harm her. I looked up at her, tears in my eyes. I honestly didn't care, but I tried to blink them away anyways.

Usagi leaned down with closed eyes, lowering her face to my level so I could see her. "Don't cry." She murmured affectionately, removing the tears from my eyes with her nimble fingers, despite her tiredness. "Shingo… Mamoru is right. I can't see you, but I know that you're right here. I know that you're crying. I can see just fine." I just stood there, too shocked to do anything. Any effort she had made to console me was completely and utterly failing. Nothing could cushion this blow to my psyche. Everything was telling me to break down and sob, but I couldn't make her feel bad. I just had to… do something.

I looked at her, uncomprehending. Struck dumb with the fact that she was not alright. She was blind. Usagi was blind. God, I was falling, unsure of which way was up, which way was down. Usagi was blind. "I see your aura. Yours is a warm orange sun that beats with your heartbeat. And it's right there." Usagi said, laying a palm over my heart.

It was cold, ice cold.

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><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

Usagi fell to her knees rather suddenly, the hand on Shingo's chest grabbing at his shirt. He lurched down with her, unable to maintain his balance. He was staring at her, struck mute with shock. "Usagi!"

"Just tired. That's all." She murmured, shaking slightly, trying to use what little hair she had left to hide her face.

"Usagi, you need to rest." I insisted, moving towards the fallen girl. She was breathing heavily, sightless eyes fixed upon the floor, wide with fear. Fear of what, I could never be sure. She held her weaknesses tightly, never showing them to others… at least since this whole thing had begun.

"I'm fine." She insisted, hesitantly getting up on shaking legs. "See, I can stand. I need to patrol. The city's far too vulnerable without me there. Sweet Selene, how long have I been asleep?" She held a hand to her forehead, grimacing slightly as if she was merely fighting a headache.

"You weren't _asleep_, Usagi. You were in a coma for a week! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? First, Ikuko and then you. I didn't think I'd be able to bear it if I lost both of you! Young lady, you are going up to your room and sleeping! Do you understand me?" Kenji exclaimed, getting up from his chair to add to his intimidation.

"Papa, I understand that you're upset, but I–" Usagi said, trying to reason with her father, despite her failing condition. She wavered unsteadily on her feet as she tried to move towards the door.

"No buts! You may be Sailor Moon, but you are Usagi Tsukino first!" He yelled, intending to sound stern as he moved to guard the door. But the effect was ruined when Usagi collapsed against him, hugging him while trying to maintain strength in her legs. He stared down at her, completely confused at her change in mood.

"Thank you for seeing me as more than Sailor Moon. You are one of the first." It was the first time I had seen Usagi smile genuinely in a long time. But it pained me to see that it was only because so many people didn't acknowledge her as anything other than Sailor Moon.

Usagi straightened herself, her father holding her elbows cautiously. "I'm going to sleep now then, Papa. I will see you in the morning then." Kenji nodded and Usagi detached herself, moving slowly towards the stairs.

"Let me help you!" Shingo shouted, finally recovering his voice. He ran after his sister and grabbed her hand gently. He shivered slightly, but smiled, guiding her up the stairs carefully. Kenji and I watched the two go upstairs, sighing. I sat down onto the couch heavily.

"She's been like this for the last several weeks. Doesn't let anyone in, doesn't listen to anyone. Just keeps pushing herself. She's going to break down one of these days." I massaged my temples, exhaling slightly as I stared at the floor.

"Mamoru, are you alright?" Kenji asked, sitting down on the edge of his chair. He placed his elbows on his knees as he leaned towards me.

"Tired. That's all. I haven't slept well lately and she's been worrying me. All of us have been high strung since this whole escapade began." I said, trying to reassure him. The dreams had come back full force, even stronger than the ones I'd had since childhood. I had to find the Moon Princess, whoever she was, before she drove me insane.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Mr. Tsukino." I said, getting up. I shook his hand firmly and we met eyes, understanding each other on a level of concern for Usagi.

"Take care." He said, nodding as he moved to the door of the house, opening it up. "See you tomorrow."

I walked out, staring at the sunlight, completely unfitting for the gravity of the situation. "So long." I answered, waving over my shoulder. I stopped at the corner, sighing heavily. I pulled my jacket around me, fighting off the slight cold that pervaded the air.

"Master?" Jadeite ventured hesitantly, appearing behind me. I didn't bother to correct him on the title, too tired to really care.

"She's blind, Jed. She can't see a thing, but she still sees everything. She knows where I am, what I'm feeling. It's as if she can see better now than before." I turned to him, smiling slightly as if it'd help me break the news to him. He stood still, digesting the news with a shocked expression on his face, mouth slightly open as he made incomprehensible attempts to speak. "Let's go home." I finally said, sighing. He closed his mouth and nodded firmly. Gripping my shoulder, we teleported back to the apartment with a blast of cold air.

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><p>~Usagi's POV~<p>

"Good night, Shingo." I murmured before I closed my eyes and curled into a ball under the covers. He closed the door finally after watching for a few seconds. "Luna, I know you're there. Come out and lie next to me." I heard her pad across the room, jumping up into bed next to me hesitantly.

"Usagi?" She ventured quietly, licking my cheek. "Usagi, is it true?" I nodded, stroking her back silently. She trembled beneath my hand, black fur brushing in between my fingers. "I'm sorry, Usagi! I failed you! I was unable to protect you, to train you for this. I am a failure as your advisor! Usagi, I–" I quickly cut off her soft protests, not willing to deal with her guilt at the moment.

I put a finger on her feline mouth, tickling her nose slightly. "This is a problem that we can deal with later, Luna. Just be quiet for now and let me sleep. I have a lot of obstacles in the next few days and I want to take in as much rest as I can. Selene knows that it'll be awhile before I get another chance to sleep well." There was a length of silence as Luna nuzzled her face against my neck, burying herself in my heat.

"Luna… You are not a failure. Sure, we both made mistakes, but I'm going to fix them." I said confidently. "Now go to sleep…" I said, trailing off with a soft smile. The evening had left me sentimental, more like my past self; the klutzy, crybaby self that I was trying to erase.

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><p>~Rei's POV~<p>

"What do you mean, I was wrong?" I yelled harshly as the bluenette in front of me told me she was leaving my side. She was going back to that worthless girl. She was leaving me. For _her_. I glared at her, shaking with unbridled anger. It was strange though; she wasn't flinching or cowering at all. Very unlike Ami.

"Rei, look at yourself. You're acting like a vindictive bitch. You're taking this way too far." I gasped, hands clenching into fists. "Just admit you were wrong. Usagi has changed; she's gotten stronger, she's more serious, she's learning to be a better leader. But she's running herself ragged trying to fight off all these youma by herself. She's going to kill herself at this rate. We need to help her. We're her guardians." Ami protested, glaring back at me with equal ferocity. So the nerd had finally grown a backbone.

"Then let the bitch die. She killed Mamoru! She's a lazy ass who can't–" Ami cut me off before I could go any further, her own hands mirroring mine as she balled them into fists.

"Rei Hino, I don't want to hear another word out of you. You do not know what Usagi can or cannot do anymore. You abandoned her. You don't deserve to be on this team." She had one of those voices where it was scarier when it was deathly quiet. She had barely raised her voice, yet even I could feel the anger coursing through her. She was pissed alright.

"This is all because I defeated that last youma, isn't it? Sweet Selene, he was going to suck the energy dry out of those civilians! I couldn't very well let them die! It was my duty to stop him!" So she had felt something for him. I felt a twinge of guilt, knowing I had actually killed someone important to her. I mean, I had felt bad killing him, but I had no choice. And if Ami had felt something. Selene, that made me as bad as Usagi! "Ami, I–" She cut me off before I could apologize, rolling on with her own argument.

"No! It is not because of Greg! This is because I'm finally standing up for myself. I'm not afraid of you anymore and you are going to listen to me. You are wrong! Usagi is no longer weak; she's strong, stronger than either of us! Usagi is better than you and you are too blinded by your jealousy to see it. The Senshi are supposed to protect the weak and we failed in that mission. I'm sorry Rei, but I can't be on your side with you anymore. I have to go protect Usagi." Ami stood up, turning around to put a hand on the rice paper door separating the rooms.

"Fine! Leave then! I don't need you and that bitch, Usagi! You're weak just like her. You can barely even fight; so if you two want to go join forces, then fine! I'll defeat the youma all by myself! I've basically been doing that for years!" I stood up; the fire behind me bristling with tightly restrained fury. "Who needs you anyway? You're worthless!"

"Goodbye Rei." She said quietly, sliding the door open. She stepped out into the hallway, sliding it closed.

"And stay out of my shrine!" Something wet trickled down my cheek and I wiped it away quickly, watching as my last friend walked away from me.

How did Usagi always manage to get everything? The power, the friends, even Mamoru. I wasn't stupid; I'd seen the way he looked at her. Even if he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was in love with her. I knew he'd only barely agreed to go out with me and even then it was mostly one sided. But I couldn't help it, I loved him. I wanted to be with him every second of every day. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him and have little beautiful black-haired children with him. He made me smile, he made me laugh. I hadn't felt that way since Mom had died and Dad had left. He'd made me feel like I was actually important.

And then he'd died. I'd been heartbroken, barely able to cope. But when he'd come back, he'd stopped paying attention to me, stopped even pretending to like me. He was so angry at me and I didn't understand why. It had been her fault! Usagi was the reason he'd gotten hurt! And then he'd gotten mad at me because I was trying to get rid of the youma. Because she wouldn't let me! And then he took her side!

And that was why I'd been so mad at Usagi. She'd taken away the only thing that had made me feel good about myself. So maybe I'd gone a little overboard, but I never meant to make her commit suicide. I just wanted to realize how much pain she was making me feel. I never meant for her to take it so badly! Selene, I was driving away anything that had ever mattered to me! She had been one of the first people to ever be a friend to me and I… had killed her.

More tears rolled down my cheeks, but I didn't bother to stop them or wipe them away. I sat down heavily, shuddering as sobs wracked my body. I covered my eyes with my hand, hoping to somehow hide the tears.

And then I had driven away Ami as well. The only friend that I had left had just… walked away. Ever since I'd become a senshi, I'd stopped making efforts with the girls at school. They'd never liked me much anyway, thought I was too different, too strange. And once I'd met Usagi and Ami, I had stopped trying to be friends with the girls at my school altogether. I'd started researching youma during lunch breaks, hoping to impress them. I'd trained whenever I had free time, refusing any half-hearted attempts by the others to do something fun together. I'd devoted myself entirely to being a senshi.

And now I had no one.

They had left me in the cold to pick up the pieces of this fragmented life.

All alone.


	17. Chapter 17: Waiting

**Author's Notes:**

Hey guys, it's me! And welcome to the next chapter. This is more of a filler chapter, but it's transitioning into some major events that are going to come up soon, so it was necessary. I'll try to update more often, but as it is, my schedule is jam packed.

Thanks to _Guest, SailorMoonAddict, Crystal, LoveInTheBattleField, nxkris, BlueLion, MoonlightBushido, _and _AbyssalSiren _for reviewing. Hugs to all of you, but not the creepy stalkerish kind. Thank you to _sailorstarcharmer, LoveInTheBattleField, LadyArtemisMoon, Kattara, ecaselto1989,_ and _Dineren _for following this story! And finally, thank you to _xKenzie, sailorstarcharmer, RKF22, mirror Alchemist, Kattara, Jade Riddle 19, Fakeivy Zero, ecaselto1989, _and _Abyssal Siren _for adding this to your Favorites List! All of you guys are fantastic!

So without further ado, here is the chapter. Please read, review, and enjoy.

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><p>Chapter 17: Waiting<p>

~Minako's POV~

I rang the doorbell to the Tsukino house early in the morning, rather surprised at the lack of media surrounding the house. There was still some, just not with the usual fervor that had recently surrounded the Tsukinos. However, that would surely change once people caught word that the Senshi of Love was here.

I smiled at the cameras as they filmed me walking up to the door. So I hadn't quite outgrown the love of media. Sue me. The door opened slowly, Mr. Tsukino sticking his head out to see me. "Mr. Tsukino, may I see Usagi? I heard she came home yesterday and I wanted to know how she is." The patriarch of the Tsukino family eyed me warily, instantly becoming distrusting at the sight of the Senshi uniform.

"And who are you?" He asked, watching me with slightly narrowed eyes. We both knew who I was, but it was simply for formality and so that the media didn't get any shady ideas. As if the Tsukinos needed anymore speculation. His voice was hoarse, signaling he hadn't slept well in the last couple of days. Neither had I.

"I'm Sailor Venus. I'm not here on senshi business, just to see Usagi. As a friend, I'm just concerned for her well being." I said earnestly, trying to get inside before the media tried to break down the door. The group of them had crowded around us quickly, pressing from all sides. Flashbulbs were flashing, indicating that my presence here would grace the tabloids within the next couple of days.

I flipped my hair, smiling as it hit one of the cameramen in the face. He spluttered, trying to remove the hair from his face so he could resume taking pictures. He deserved it. "Please Mr. Tsukino, I only want to talk to her. I'm really worried about her." He moved aside finally, opening the door to let me through. I snuck through the opening and he slammed the door shut immediately, a relief to both of us. I sagged against the closed door, sighing as I heard the knocking of the media. Freaking media was going to kill us one of these days.

"Usagi's upstairs at the moment, but she's still sleeping." So I couldn't actually see her yet, damn. I had seen her sleeping plenty of times during the week, but it hadn't done anything to satisfy the worry that something was wrong. Naru and Makoto were beside themselves with worry, but I hadn't been able to appease any of those worries yet. Neither of them had been allowed to see her, and the worst had taken hold in their minds. I had to calm them quickly before Makoto did anything rash. She was so close to unveiling that Sailor Jupiter had arrived and we couldn't spoil the surprise for the Dark Kingdom yet.

"Ah." I said after a moment, pausing to check that all the windows were blocked before detransforming. It felt a relief to be back in my street clothes without all those people staring at my every inch of skin. Even for me, it could get a little much. The costume was cute and it definitely allowed movement, but coverage was not one of its strongest points. "I'm Minako Aino by the way. I saved your daughter when she… uh…" I struck out a hand to cover up for my inability to form a sentence. He shook it, slightly dazed as he finished the idea in his mind.

"So you were the one… Then I can't thank you enough." He leaned against a wall after letting go of my hand, shaking his head sadly. He looked to be tired, his eyelids fighting to stay up as he watched me. This all must have been taking a serious toll on his family. "You're welcome in our house whenever you need it. Do your parents know…?" He trailed off as well, leaving for me to answer.

"They're not a problem." I answered quickly, trying to breeze through the question. At his quizzical look, I finally amended, "I live by myself." I averted my eyes, staring at the floor then realized what his next conclusion should be. "They aren't dead or anything!" I said hurriedly, worried that he'd start apologizing. "They live in England." I cursed mentally at my horrible tongue. It was being so frustrating! I didn't normally give so much information about myself. It just made for more problems usually.

"Right… Um…" There was a bit of an awkward pause as he looked me over, frowning slightly. He finally decided to veer to a different topic and asked a completely different question. "Do you know about Usagi's condition?" That took me by surprise. Usagi wasn't okay? She was full-blooded Lunarian. That was impossible. She could heal anything. Aphrodite, she was practically immortal, that girl!

"What condition?" I blinked once, trying to understand what was going on. This was not good. Usagi could not be hurt. That was impossible. Usagi...injured? It just wasn't possible.

"Usagi's blind." He was blunt, trying to ease the blow as best he could. It didn't help. I could feel the pain rolling off him in waves, giving me one of those rare moments where I hated being an empath. I shook my head in negation at the statement. No... just no. It just couldn't… No! This wasn't possible!

"That can't be true. She's Lunarian; she can heal practically anything. This isn't possible. Usagi can't...No! She's not blind! That isn't possible!" I was babbling slightly to fill the silence, repeating myself as I tried to get my mind unstuck. My eyes were wide, trying to somehow absorb all the information. I was shaking, tears threatening to spill. "Mr. Tsukino, this can't be right." He simply shook his head, gesturing for me to follow him to the kitchen. Tears finally came, but I wiped them away hastily when he had his back to me.

I wasn't weak. I had survived. I could deal with this. Whatever the hell _this _was.

"She can still see just fine; senses where people and things are. At least that's what I gathered from yesterday." Mr. Tsukino observed, sitting down at their simple kitchen table. The new powers… I should have known. Power always comes with a price. I should have warned her not to use it.

"She's evolving." The answer came to me in a rush, making me realize what had happened. It should have been obvious, but it wasn't. These things never were.

"What?" He asked, looking at me strangely.

"Usagi developed a power a few weeks ago," I began, hoping I could explain this well enough, despite my lack of real concrete knowledge, "allowing her to sense things based on their 'aura.' But to use it, she had to keep her eyes closed–"

"Therefore allowing the optic nerve to function on a combination of a cellular and spiritual level." Usagi cut me off, finishing the sentence with the real answer of what had happened. I hadn't even heard her come down the stairs, she was so quiet, bare feet padding along the floor. "This allows me to sense things about people and items around me. My brain then processes what I have 'seen' and creates an image of what's around me in my head with the extra details."

"She has either evolved to adapt to this new power or her body is compensating for her failing eyesight." I finished for her, watching her walk over to us with eyes closed. Secretly, I hoped she didn't open them. The sightless eyes would be just a little too creepy for me to handle, even with all the things I had seen as a senshi.

"It's still developing, but eventually it should allow me to see the complete physical state of someone, internal or external, or possibly even see the future. The possibilities are endless." Usagi sat down next to me, shrugging her shoulders slightly as she trailed off for the second. "I take you introduced yourself then, Minako?" She asked, sitting down next to me. I nodded, making a slight sound of affirmation in case she couldn't see minuscule movements like that yet.

Mr. Tsukino ignored me for a second, going on to his first question immediately. "Usagi… how do you know all this? You barely pass in school and yet you know what an optic nerve is?" Her father was clearly amazed, blinking rapidly as he tried to process what had happened. I could still sense the slight uneasiness as he watched her, but that was probably from him still trying to understand what was happening. At least he wasn't scared of her like my parents.

I paused for a second, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. I was not going to think about them. Nope, I had come here to escape them. Land of the free and home of the brave and all that...or was that America? I could never get the phrases straight in my head. I'd say them wrong and people would think I was a complete ditz, the largest reason why I'd stopped saying them.

"After I started sensing things, it became harder to see again. I had slight periods of blurriness that I would write off as exhaustion and it became harder to physically open my eyes again. So I did a bit of research on the eye to figure out what was wrong. The rest was just figuring out what I was actually seeing." She shrugged her shoulders again, burrowing her head in the crook of her elbow with a slight groan.

"Rough night?" I asked jokingly, earning another groan in return. "Don't worry; no school for you today so you can sleep all you like." She bolted upright immediately, looking towards where her room would be, as if calculating how much time it would take for her to change and get to school. "Ms. Haruna wants you to know that you should rest, but she'll expect you in class first thing next week. Don't be late for once." She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout.

"And why aren't you in school then?" She asked, looking up at me quizzically. "And how did she know you would talk to me? We've barely met according to our civilian identities."

"I've come down with a terrible cough. The doctor said it could be pneumonia." I coughed quietly, smiling at the blond. "Only for today though, so I could see you. I told her that I would see how you were doing." She nodded, sighing faintly. After a pause, I added, "And let me take care of any youma. I'll call you if it gets too bad, but you need to take it easy for the time being."

"Minako, I have to! Tokyo needs me! I can't just lie around and do nothing!" She exclaimed, earning her a watchful gaze from her father. He tensed, ready to interject at any second. It sounded like this had become a familiar argument to the father, something I'd have to watch for certain.

"Usagi, as your friend, I can't let you go off and get yourself killed. Tokyo can wait, you need to sleep and rest. You're not just Sailor Moon, you're a person. You need to recover first." Usagi sat there for a second before she smiled; a real heartwarming smile that I'd never seen before. I couldn't help but smile back, tilting my head to the side slightly. "Go get some more sleep. I'll bring some tea up… if I don't burn it." I added as an afterthought, remembering how terrible a cook I usually was. Maybe I'd have Mr. Tsukino make it then.

"Selene, you're worse than Brent and Haku." She muttered, getting up. She hugged me and then her father, going upstairs quickly. "Wake me up if anyone else comes!" She shouted down from her doorway, closing the door to her room afterwards.

"Thank you; for all that you've done." I turned, finding Mr. Tsukino smiling at me as he got up to make the tea. "She's been so worried that people see her just as Sailor Moon now and not as Usagi Tsukino. The media certainly hasn't been helping much, focusing so much on her exploits." He peeked through the curtains at those were camped out on the lawn. He shook his head, glowering at them slightly.

"I think I can take the media off your hands for awhile." I said quietly, looking towards the window.

He looked at me, unsure of what I was insinuating. "What do you mean?"

"It's about time I gave up my identity to the media." His eyes grew into huge saucers as he started to splutter something. I held up a hand, motioning for him to stay quiet. "Just hear me out. My family could honestly care less about me, so I don't have to worry about keeping anyone safe. And this will allow me to help Usagi with more battles and give me a greater freedom of movement." He sat back, sighing with worry. It was clear that he was having serious moral issues with this, knowing how much pain it had brought to Usagi. "Besides, Usagi's not the only one with a cat advisor. I'm not totally lost. I've talked to him about it and he says it's my choice." I said jokingly, laughing as I sat back in my chair.

There was a long pause as he digested the information. I could feel him warring with himself; it would help his daughter, but could he willingly condone that it would put me in more danger. "Mr. Tsukino, I've thought about this for a long time." He nodded, brows tight knit in worry. He didn't approve, but he would consent to it for the time being. Especially since it would help Usagi.

"So then… Would you like to give me an interview?"

* * *

><p>~Makoto's POV~<p>

I stretched out my sore muscles as I sat down in my desk by the window with a sense of satisfaction. Early morning training with Minako was valuable and important, but Jove, did it make me ache. And that made coming to school all the worse. "Rough morning?" I looked up to see Naru sitting down next to me with a smile. I nodded, rolling my shoulders a bit to loosen the tight muscles. The muscles in my back were wound up in knots, stress visible in my tense shoulders.

"Finally got my attack down though." I fist pumped, smiling with determination. Supreme Thunder (Or so I thought it was called; I was never exactly sure because of the whole telepathic thing) had been giving me burns along my hands all week. Luckily I healed fast and had developed the reputation of a baker around school, so they didnt' look too out of place. But if I hadn't managed to complete it soon, I probably would have just decided to use martial arts on the youma and given up on the elemental aspect completely.

"So Minako said I could go patrolling with her now. Oh joy." Late nights with endless running and fighting off youma, then coming to school the next day and having to act normal. Sounded like fun. Naru laughed, patting me on the shoulder good-naturedly. Lucky her, she didn't have to worry about this at all. She was just here to help us get out of school safely.

"I'm sure you'll do fine." She was about to say something else when the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. Ms. Haruna walked in, twirling around as she hummed to herself. Her date must have gone well last night.

"Alright class, it appears that you are all here, except for Tsukino and Aino-san, which I expected. Please–"

"But where's the lovely Minako?!" One of the boys shouted, holding a rose to his chest. Great, another confession. Over the last week, many of the boys had fallen head over heels for her, many confessing on the spot. It would have been funny if a couple of them hadn't looked like my old boyfriend. To see him confessing to Minako was just downright wrong!

"She has a terrible cough that could possibly be pneumonia. She's getting it checked out today, but didn't want to risk getting all of you sick." I couldn't help but snicker quietly as Ms. Haruna announced it. Naru and I exchanged a glance, trying to stifle laughter. Of course Minako had told us what she was doing, but it was still hilarious to watch everyone else react.

There was an outcry of how wonderful she was and whatnot before Ms. Haruna calmed the class down. "Now I understand that Aino-san is very kind, but please refrain from interrupting my class. Please take out your math textbooks and turn to where we left off yesterday." She turned the board, murmuring something about young love with a smile.

She quickly gave us math assignments and we separated into pairs, Naru and I immediately gravitating towards each other. I liked the girl. She was down to earth and she didn't let the idea of her friends being senshi get to her head. But she was also just a nice girl who didn't treat me differently because I was a senshi (A rather new one at that) or someone who'd just gotten kicked out of their last school for fighting.

"You think Minako's with her already?" I murmured as we worked on the equations together. I bit the eraser of my pencil looking at the math a bit more before guessing the answer. "Is the answer twenty-seven?"

"No, it's forty-two. You forgot to carry the one over here." She pointed out the mistake, explaining what I'd done wrong. I frowned, correcting my mistake as I glared at my paper. "Well she did plan to go over immediately this morning after training, so she probably is. She said she'd text us at lunch so stop worrying." I sighed dejectedly, returning to my math.

"I hate waiting." I grumbled lowly, glaring at my paper against before getting back to work. There was a pause as I finished the next problem, turning to Naru. "Sixty-nine?" I asked as Naru finished up hers. She nodded and I couldn't help but smile. I hated math and math hated me, but it was getting easier at least. We high-fived before returning to the problems.

"So if Minako doesn't call, should we go over to Usagi's tonight?" I nodded in affirmation, deciding to let my impatient streak have its way. We talked awhile about other things to distract ourselves from Usagi's condition and continued with the math.

After moving through history and literature, we finally had lunch. Naru and I walked to the lunch tables casually, occasionally dodging a soccer ball as we chatted. We sat down and I opened my bento, smiling at tall the delicious food I stuffed in it. I had my chopsticks halfway to my mouth when there before us stood a certain blond, smiling widely, mischievous smile in place.

"You'll never guess what I did."

_What did you do now, Minako?_


	18. Chapter 18: Ghost

**Intro**

Hello to all you readers! Thanks so much for holding on with me! Other last couple months have been ghastly, but I appreciate you waiting for me. This chapter's a bit longer therefore to help make up for the wait. And as a side note, how has your day been? Anything exciting happen?

First of all, thanks to _Puffgirl1952, RKF22, smkelly53, LoveInTheBatteField, nxkris,_ and _Laesk_ for reviewing! You guys are fantastic! Here's a virtual plate of cookies. Careful, they're hot! Thanks to _WolfGirl150, Deb41, MagicalMercenary, Laesk, Triad Skyline, xFenrisTempestx, Star Girl11, smkelly93,_ and _raya9_ for adding this to your Story Alerts. And finally, thanks ever so much to _WolfGirl150, xxxsanxxx, dgray12, Triad Skyline,_ and _xFenrisTempestx_ for adding this to your Favorite Stories!

I will sadly never own Sailor Moon as long as I live.

Oh, and this story has reached over 50,000 words! Woohoo! Thanks so much for sticking with me for this long! So please remember to read, review, and enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 18: Ghost<strong>

Makoto's POV~

_What in Jove's name did she do now?_ That was another thing I had noticed. As soon as I had transformed, I had started swearing to Jove or Jupiter. I didn't even know who those guys were! Minako called it instinct, just part of who we were as senshi. I called it plain creepy.

"What did you do, Minako?" I was on edge, watching her intensely with a touch of horrified curiosity. She'd done something terribly wrong judging by the degree of her enthusiasm. There was just something about the way she was smirking or the way she had appeared that had made me cautious, nervous around her.

"I just had an interview with Kenji Tsukino, Editor in Chief of Tokyo News… Revealing the identity of Sailor Venus," she whispered secretively, sitting back after she'd told us. She smiled broadly, obviously pleased with herself.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I yelled, throwing up my arms in exasperation as I looked at her. My chopsticks flew off into the bushes somewhere, carelessly thrown in my anger. Naru hurriedly pulled me back down in my seat, try to avoid a larger scene. A few people had looked over to us, whispering as they tried to figure out what I was doing. Naru shot a quick look back at them before turning back to me, shushing me expectantly as I glared at the girl.

My fists clenched angrily, breath catching in my throat. Was she trying to jeopardize everything we had worked for after Usagi's identity reveal?! This obviously wasn't how things were done! Didn't she think that it might affect other people at all?!

"What is the matter with you, Minako?! I've been a senshi for one week and even I know that's not what you're supposed to do! What about your family?! Have you even talked to them about this?" I whispered quietly, trying to convey the anger and the worry I felt for her. She had a family; she had to worry about them at least. People just didn't understand what it was like to live without them, lose them.

Minako was… interesting to say the least. She was happy and bouncy all the time, making her fun to be around. But when it came to being a senshi, she dropped the fun attitude in a heartbeat. Get in her way and she wouldn't hesitate to strike you down. I'd seen her fight. There were no smiles, no laughs, just a cold-blooded serious anger that frankly scared me. As such, I still didn't know what to make of her, what to think of my enigmatic leader. But one thing was for sure; she worried me.

She was reckless, not seeming to ever care what happened to her. She had no sense of self worth, sporting a martyr complex bigger than her ego it seemed like. She never hesitated to jump in front of a blow intended for a civilian, even when she was on her last legs, dying. She could just never let anyone else get hurt. It didn't make sense.

"My family doesn't care." The smile dropped in an instant, but she just shook her head as if in denial of the fact. This had come up before then, she had already dealt with something like this. "They live in England so they wouldn't even know. I ran away after they found out. But let's not talk about that." The smile returned in an instant after that, shocking both Naru and myself into silence at the dramatic change. _Defense mechanism._ That was how she dealt with it, the rejection of her family. She pretended it didn't matter. No wonder she'd run away to Japan.

"Anyways, it'll be out. Tonight," she finished, adding the sense of finality to the conversation. She knew there was nothing we could do about the situation now and she was making sure we understood that as well. Her ridiculous decision was final.

"Your parents–" Naru ventured slightly, expressing the very thing I had worried about. She seemed so incredibly lost in the conversation between us, but she was beginning to recover from the shock.

So Minako had lost her family too? So she understood what it felt like? Of course, mine were dead so I didn't have the whole betrayal issue and all the pain associated with that. But… She was on her own too. I wondered if she got lonely as well, sitting in her apartment all by herself on lonely nights. But she cut Naru off before I could get any farther with my thoughts. So much for trying to broach the subject.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." She insisted quickly, glaring at the girl slightly. Naru's eyes widened in surprise. This was the first time she'd ever seen the girl angry, frustrated by something other than stupid math problems.

"Okay… But why would you give your identity away? You didn't have to!" I asked, quickly changing the subject to safer ground between all of us. The argument about her parents would clearly end badly, probably with both parties refusing to talk to the other. Not that this was much safer.

"Because this way I can help Usagi. She doesn't have to go solo anymore because I can go help her now." And it all fell into place. Minako was never truly losing anything. She adored the camera and didn't have anyone to worry about because of her parents. And this way she could help Usagi, who was already struggling with the current load (I probably wouldn't be any great help anytime soon). And she'd gotten to have a say in what came out in the paper, important when our personal lives were so greatly at stake.

I quirked a bit of a smile after the realization, folding my arms as I watched the Venusian with interest. "Minako, that would probably be one of the stupidest things you had ever done if it wasn't so incredibly smart." Minako acted like a ditz most of the time, but when she needed to, she could come up with some of the best strategies. She was actually a damn good leader if one paid attention to the thought she put into everything. It was amazing how much time she put into being a senshi. but i guess that this had been her life for awhile. This would help Usagi out so much. Naru looked at me with a bit of a shocked expression, not understanding what Minako was trying to do, how much this would actually help.

"Why thank you for recognizing my genius," she responded with a laugh, tenseness fleeing her muscles now that someone finally understood her plan. She smiled flirtatiously, making me roll my eyes at her stupid habits. I wondered how much that had to do with being the Senshi of Love and how much of that was just naturally her.

"Anyways, I thought I'd give you guys a heads up, since it's coming out tonight. Didn't want you all to die of shock..." She paused for a second, looking around conspiratorially. "I shouldn't really be here." Minako faked a hacking cough, dramatically putting a hand to her forehead in a mock faint. "You know, since my cough is so terrible. It could be pneumonia, you know."

She smiled devilishly before bolting off with a wink. She'd disappeared, just like a ghost disappearing with the morning light.

Naru blinked after she'd gone, turning to me. "What the hell just happened?"

* * *

><p>~Mamoru's POV~<p>

"Mr. Tsukino!" I shouted, knocking on the door with a gloved hand. The door was gently pushed open, the man stopping to stare at me for a second. I saw his eyes adjust to the glamour of the costume, realizing who it really was under the mask. The bags under his eyes looked a little better at least, insinuating that he'd at least slept a little last night.

"Ah, Tuxedo Kamen. Come in, Venus was here earlier. She left the plans for you." I nodded, trying to take the sudden news in stride. Minako had been here earlier and Kenji was looking fairly normal, so that either meant that everything was okay or he was a better actor than I anticipated. I could picture her bouncy gold locks as she dashed past the paparazzi, fleeing the scene. But of course she'd play up the drama, suggest things that never happened just to keep the media from finding out what was actually going on. She was a mystery, that girl.

I stepped over the threshold slamming the door shut behind me. We couldn't have anyone getting the wrong idea and moving to intrude. It was against the law, but when had that really stopped the paparazzi? They were willing to do just about anything it seemed like, stupid ants that they were, crawling around.

"Mr. Tsukino, how's Usagi?" were the first words out of my mouth, betraying my worry for her. She was special, Usagi. Probably even more than we all realized. More than her father seemed to realize all this time.

_But I realized she was special, knew it from the second she hit me with that test._ My cheeks flushed pink for a second as I felt her phantom lips crash into mine again. The memory was dissipating quickly, but it always had a way of popping up unannounced. The taste of her succulent peach lips… No, I didn't know what had happened in the graveyard, why I'd kissed her like that. But it hadn't been right! I bit my lower lip, trying to somehow erase the memory from my mind. It was immoral. I was a college student, she was still in middle school.

We were not meant to be.

But why did my heart rebel against that statement?

Usagi had been filtering through my thoughts a lot more recently, even without the cause for worry. It bothered me, why I'd be thinking about her so much. Her absent smile as she sipped a milkshake or her playful laugh, though I was quickly forgetting what those were, replacing them with harder, more fitting images.

Usagi was no longer playful. She no longer had time for absent smiles or meaningless laughter. Every move had a purpose, every finger poised to kill in an instant. She no longer had a need for a smile. She was a warrior. She was a killer in her mind, a cold-blooded murderer. Not that she had ever killed anyone. Though the only life she ever took was her own when she stopped being herself.

Killers didn't smile.

"She's… alright. She's certainly managing well. Came downstairs this morning and talked with Minako and myself for a bit. But well, she's… changed. I don't know how to say it. It's just like-" He trailed off for a second, lost at how to continue. He vaguely motioned with his hands as he desperately wracked his mind for the right description.

"She is not herself. She's harder. She lacks the very essence that makes her Usagi." I had thought the same thought myself, questioning what exactly had changed within her. What had really changed in Usagi? Why had such a strange seriousness descended? But of course I knew that.

Because of me.

My lack of power.

And now all she did was wander through life with haunted eyes. She was nothing more than a specter now, a ghost of her former life.

"Exactly! She's just…darker. I can't explain it well." He sighed, sitting down in his chair with a sense of defeat. It hung around all of us now.

"Mr. Tsukino, I've brought a companion to see Usagi. However, she is not used to him like this. But we need to speak to her about him immediately." It was all very ambiguous in meaning, not providing much to go on, but Kenji just shook his head in affirmation. He'd gotten used to our strange dealings over the last few days, adjusting well to the senshi life. "Now, before he comes, I warn you. Do not trust your eyes."

Kenji blinked, rather startled at what I had said. It was a strange request for sure, even for me. I closed my eyes, flaring my energy briefly in a sign to Jadeite. I could feel the sign of earth blaze out on my forehead momentarily, a sign that I had accessed my powers. He knew what to do from there.

It was less than a minute before Jadeite appeared by my side. Gray smoke cleared, dissipating into the air as he stood there, peering around. He looked around at the new location, curious about where he was. "Mamoru, where is she?" He looked around urgently, clearly worried for the woman he viewed to be his savior.

"We are-" I made to speak, but was interrupted before I could finish the first sentence. But I had expected as much.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Kenji's eyes had narrowed into lethal slits, putting me on edge. He clearly recognized Jadeite, most likely from all the media work he did on Sailor Moon. This wasn't going to be as easy then. Even if he didn't go to kill him, it would be ages before he trusted him.

"Who is this?" Jadeite asked, staring back at Kenji with confusion present on his face. So apparently he hadn't existed in our past lives or at least he wasn't memorable. But Jadeite hadn't known of a Sailor Moon in the Silver Millennium either. Things were changing.

"This is Kenji Tsukino, father and guardian of Usagi." Jadeite's sharp stare softened considerably when he heard that Kenji was her father.

"Mr. Tsukino, I greatly apologize for any misfortune that may have befallen on your family while I was under Beryl's spell. I hope that I can rectify at least a little for the damages that I caused." Jadeite bowed low in supplication, his speech and behavior unnatural in our time. Kenji looked up at me, thrown off guard by the sudden apology and the strange speech and mannerisms.

"It's true, Mr. Tsukino. Usagi freed him from Beryl's spell during our last battle. He's on our side now. Mercury already checked and cleared him and he's living with me now, so he should be fine. All we want to do is talk to Usagi," I explained, nodding earnestly in hopes that it would help my case.

"Send Jadeite up, please." Usagi's soft voice carried down to us, cutting off any response her father could give. She was perched by the railing to their staircase, standing at the top. One could hardly tell she was sleep deprived from her elegant stance, head tilted slightly to the side to expose her long, creamy neck.

I grimaced, tearing my eyes away from the offending bit of flesh to stare at her hair. We'd fixed it up as we could, but all that was left had been hewn off into a messy pixie cut. That was all the hair she had left for. The rest had been mix-match lengths, unsuitable for anything lengthy elegant. But I'm sure she thought this style suited her better, served her purpose better.

But something else was new. She'd taken a piece of black ribbon and tied it around her eyes, easily concealing the majority of her face. She had probably wanted to stop people from looking at her sightless eyes, knowing how unnerving and strange it could be. I had to admit. I didn't want to look at them.

It was odd, unnatural. Eyes like hers were not meant to look upon nothing.

As usual, there was no smile, the seriousness seeming to consume her face. It greatly contrasted the sweat pants and tank top she wore, betraying how exhausted she actually was. "I would very much like to talk with him." Usagi nodded once and disappeared, moving back to her room without another word.

"Jadeite, that would be your cue." He nodded, ascending the stair slowly. I could hear him slowly open the door, entering her room with a quiet pause.

Oh, Usagi, be kind to him.

* * *

><p>~Jadeite's POV~<p>

"Send Jadeite up, please." I turned at the sound of my name, much like the voice of a principal chastising a small student. Turning around to face the woman at the railing, I paused, taken aback by her appearance. This was…Usagi?

She stood at the railing, feet placed together to draw her slim figure into a line. The only thing breaking the rigidity was her head, slightly cocked to the left. Her hair was gone, apparently my doing. I had really done this to her?! Her eyes, or what was left of them, bore into me, seeming to search my very being.

My breath caught in my throat as she stared at me, unnerved by her gaze. This was not the same woman who had saved me. This woman was not of this earth, seeming to see me without the aid of her eyes. An air of melancholy hung around her, a seemingly close companion. It ran its fingers along her jawline before dissipating off into the thin air, taking with it the very warmth in the room.

"I would very much like to talk with him." The chilled tone in her voice shook me to the core, freezing me in place. Her voice wasn't sharp, but every word was like an unintentional slap to the cheek. Was this…was this Sailor Moon, the moon brat who I had so resolutely hunted?

"Jadeite, that would be your cue." I turned to face Mamoru for a second, nodding uncertainly. I moved towards the staircase, hesitantly walking up the steps. This was far from the Moon Palace, yet even still I felt my legs shaking in nervousness. It was as if I was walking down their steps again, announced at my first ball on the moon.

There was something about Usagi that made my skin crawl, made it stretch away from her prying eyes in an effort to get away. She unnerved me, threw me off kilter with her strange aspects. Her eyes when they looked into me, seeing past the skin and bones. Her lack of care for herself. The way she had exuded no presence, like a ghost.

But that seemed to be all she was now.

A ghost left to wander the world. Dead without truly dying, crawling around the world without epithet or tombstone.

Opening the door to her room, I stepped inside, startled by the normalcy. It was strange to see the haunting celestial figure of Usagi Tsukino sitting among pink sheets, cross-legged. But she didn't seem to mind, merely watching me as I walked in.

"Sit down, Jadeite. I promise that I won't attack you…yet." Usagi gazed at me, lips seeming to curve into a smile. But it wasn't really a smile, the meaningless gesture. It was a just a facial expression for me to hold onto, to grip onto the small piece of reality before it flitted away again.

I leaned against the wall, every muscle tense and coiled, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Her eyes crept along my arms, seeming to register everything. I shivered slightly, folding my arms in an effort to calm myself.

"So tell me. Who are you really?" She leaned forward a bit with curiosity, elegance losing to teenage carelessness. Her left leg came undone, flopping lifelessly over the edge of the bed. Why was she so formal in front of the others and yet, so frank in front of me? Was I different from them somehow? Why did she put up this illusion of normality when clearly I was the one who cared least what she did?

I stared at her for a second, ignoring her question. She already knew the answer most likely, just asking for courtesy's sake. "I'm trying to figure you out, understand you." She sat back a bit, mouth quirking into a smirk of apathetic amusement. "You are still quite the enigma to me. You are formal, yet lacking so behind closed doors. Rigid, yet lax in your behavior."

"Don't you ever relax, Jed?" She cocked her head again, seeming to enjoy wherever this was going. "Aren't we all different in the privacy of our rooms?"

"Do not think me a fool, Usagi Tsukino. You would never let down your guard around the man who tried to kill you, even if you knew he was good. You're doing this for a reason. You're just toying with me." I looked at her, startled by the friendly nickname she so quickly bestowed upon me.

"You wouldn't believe the expression on my father's face when I said the word "ocular nerve." He thinks I'm an idiot, not that I blame him. I am one, too stupid to realize when I was losing my grip on my senshi. Too stupid to pass in school. Too stupid to realize that it is not wise to reveal your weaknesses and insecurities in front of a man who could quite possibly still want to kill you." She smiled wryly, tipping her head towards me in inclination. She sighed before reclining on her bed, not even bothering to face me.

"Still, I have to show him that I'm no longer an idiot to the severity that he believes. Otherwise I'll be confined here forever and the people of Tokyo still need me. The youma won't stay confined like me." I blinked, absorbing the information. She was trapped here and yet all she could think about was her duty as Sailor Moon?

"I know you're not here to kill me. I could sense it when you came in the house. Judging by your heartbeat and your previous conversation, you're just here to apologize. Perhaps, even to ask me a question or two. Am I wrong?" I was losing my tenuous grasp on the situation to what seemed like the words of a master tactician. She already knew everything about my mission here, was just twisting my words back at me, words I hadn't even said yet.

But she had paid the price for this, sacrificed her eyes for such knowledge. Thrown away her eyes so she could really see. Not that I doubted why, to see the treachery around her, to see the havoc wreaked by vengeful senshi. An unconscious adaptation perhaps? Zoisite would have known.

"Why are you doing this? Even I can sense that you are not yourself. You were never meant for such harshness, Usagi. This is unnatural." I stared at the girl, completely bewildered by her behavior. It radiated that of one much older, much more used to the field of battle.

"You think it easy to just hang up the henshin?" She quirked an eyebrow, the thin strip of hair, sliding up to be barely visible above the ribbon. Her voice was laced with poison, words heavily barbed, warning me not to go any further.

But when did I listen?

"No, that is not what I meant. You speak like that of one far older than yourself. You're forcing yourself to change into something you're not. You have completely forsaken yourself. You are not worthy of being Sailor Moon if you cannot even decipher what your own heart is-"

I never finished the sentence, a hand cutting off my air abruptly. Usagi's murderous face consumed my vision, black ribbon sliding down just enough to reveal her blank left eye. It's gaze penetrated me, eating away at me. I could barely feel her nails pressing into the soft skin of my neck, so intently focused on her eyes. Her lone eye that bore into me, glassy and unfocused, not belonging in a body like Usagi's.

The human side of me internally begged for her to notice and cover it up, hide the offending eye. Such a thing should not existed. Such a thing as Usagi should not have existed. At least from a scientific view. And she hadn't, not in the Silver Millennium at least.

"You come into my house and yet you think you can accuse me of not being worth Sailor Moon?! Listen here, Jadeite…" She trailed off for a second, the fight seeming to flee from her. Her shoulders slumped, sharp frown fading back to general sadness. "She's all I have left. You can't do that to me." The slender hand left my throat, Usagi's figure retreating back to her bed.

"You may go. I have no more to say," she whispered, hugging her sides. She appeared incredibly fragile, vulnerable at the thought of Sailor Moon being taken away from her. She wanted to be recognized as Sailor Moon, as a warrior in her own right, yet she did not want to be overshadowed by her own growing fame.

What a strange contradiction that girl was.


	19. Chapter 19: Trust

**Intro:**

Hello all, you may be wondering what I'm doing updating so soon, especially after such a long absence. Well, this is actually a birthday request from _Puffgirl1952_!

Happy Birthday, Puff! May your day be filled with awesomeness! And congrats for surviving the apocalypse! Here's your present from me, a new chapter! And virtual cake of course.

And Merry Christmas to all of you! Here's a present from me to you, this new chapter! I hope you all have wonderful holidays!

Thanks to _LoveInTheBattleField, FakeivyZero,_ and _Puffgirl1952_ for reviewing. Have some virtual birthday cake and don't forget your party favors on the way out! Thanks to _Puffgirl1952_ and _freakblueangel_ for adding this to your Story Alerts. And finally thanks to _Akuma no Esu_ for adding this to your Favorite Stories! You are truly awesome!

Okay guys, I don't own Sailor Moon. Let's establish that right now.

So please read, review, and enjoy! And I'm off to hibernate for the winter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 19: Trust<strong>

"You may go. I have no more to say," I informed him, quietly climbing back onto my bed in a careful manner. Just the idea of it had sent my head spinning. Sailor Moon not being…me? Who else would take her when they knew what it resulted in? What…What would happen to me after she was passed on? Would I just…cease to exist in the eyes of those around me? Would they even care about me if I wasn't Sailor Moon?

I had never been much before being Sailor Moon, just a stupid, slacker, klutzy, crybaby who nailed annoying people in the heads with failed math tests. I was nothing without Sailor Moon! Just an ordinary student, failing at the chance of having of a decent future! How dare he take her away from me?! She...She was all I had to cling too.

At least being Sailor Moon made sense. Go out, fight, then win and survive or lose and die. In the maddening chaos of my life, it was the only thing keeping my sanity together. Or perhaps it was destroying, I couldn't really tell anymore.

I hugged my chest, holding my rib cage together with chipped and broken fingernails. If I let go perhaps it'd fall apart and then all I'd be was a mess of bones on the floor. At least then I wouldn't have to worry about anything.

"But I'm not finished." From what I could "see," Jadeite was still leaning against the wall, his face troubled and drawn tight with worry. The little details had started becoming clearer, simply supplying themselves when I focused on somebody's aura. It was like…a magnifying glass? No, bad description, that added clarity. Everything already seemed to be clear, but there were layers upon layers of information and images just waiting behind a hollow framework, all easily accessed and navigated with my mind. Blueprints, that was a better description of it. After all, it was all black and white lines, minus the faint colored auras hovering behind each living creature.

"Usagi, this isn't healthy, what you're doing to yourself." He closed his eyes, sighing sadly with dejection. He looked tired, just exhausted simply by the task of breathing, existing. I could tell he was looking at me, examining me.

I'd gotten skinnier since this whole escapade began, probably to an unhealthy level. I didn't have time to get enough sleep or eat proper meals. Everything was demanding my attention. Dark rings would line my eyes most likely with emergency disastrous haircut not making me look any cleaner. I could see everything, but myself, so I honestly didn't know how I looked. I was on basic sweats that Luna had dragged out for me, but beyond that, I had no idea.

"You haven't had a chance to properly confront these issues, your sudden blindness, your suicide attempt, your identity crisis. You don't know how to handle this and you're failing under the pressure," he said, continuing to look me up and down.

My eyes narrowed dangerously, hands clenching at my sides, arms unwinding from my sides. "Get out." That was it. I had had enough listening to the general, no matter if he was right or not. He came in here, accusing me of not being worthy of Sailor Moon and then he tells me that I'm failing at it anyways. Who the hell did he think he was…Rei?!

"Usagi, you have to-" he began again, carefully evening his tone to something soothing and calm. He could tell I was close to snapping, close to losing the carefully crafted control that stood between me and a blazing whirlwind of raw, uncontrollable power. And I certainly didn't want a repeat of that again.

I held out my hand, splaying my fingers against some invisible wall between us in a sign for him to quiet. I didn't give him a chance, overriding his words with my own. "Don't say it. Just don't say a word. I know. Believe me, I know," I responded, losing the formality in my tone. I couldn't help but smile, feeling practically hysterical as my defenses crumbled to the floor. I was on the defensive, quickly forgetting the wall I had put over my emotions. I was quickly trying to rein them in, hastily erecting barriers to keep the waves of bitterness from swelling.

I laughed, the sound jaded and worn. Even I paused at the noise, the sound foreign to my lips. "You think I don't know? I can feel my world crashing around me, my education and sanity slipping away between my fingertips. And the only thing I can do is keep going because what else can I do? Obviously, I can't kill myself." His heart rate jumped for a second, indicating that the slip in my tongue, my casual observation had not gone unnoticed.

So then Mamoru had informed him about…that as well. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Mamoru seemed to trust him, rely on him even. I didn't know the depth of the relationship, but it seemed like it ran deep. They must have known each other in Silver Millennium.

"Don't speak like that. Stop speaking like you have given up the very essence of hope. That isn't true." I quirked an eyebrow, finally fixing the black ribbon so he wouldn't have to stare at the blank blue orbs. He exhaled slightly, clearly glad that I'd done so. Were my eyes truly that bad?

"You think I've given up hope?" I laughed bitterly again and felt his pulse quicken. Ah well, I couldn't help it. It wasn't often that I got to really let go like this. "If I didn't have hope, then I wouldn't be sitting here. I would be sitting in a box, six feet under compacted dirt." He flinched and that was when I became aware of the three auras sitting outside the door, listening. They all spiked suddenly, worry coursing through them in an instant. They most likely had been for some time now, but I'd been too distracted to notice.

_Damn, Usagi, take better notice of your surroundings._ I mentally chided myself, sighing in defeat.

"Usagi, the only thing that matters to you is Sailor Moon and you clearly don't care about what happens to yourself anymore." I could hear his voice take on a hesitant tone, knowing not to push this much further. I absentmindedly wondered if he could hear the other three waiting by the door. Probably not since they were actually doing a fairly decent job of staying silent.

"But that's not losing hope. That's just an overwhelming martyr-complex, brought upon by saving too many civilians at the cost of my own health. But of course you would know about that. After all, you were the one who sent all the youma after us. You know what I had to do." We both winced at the statement, though for different reasons. Okay, that had been a low blow. I hadn't even realized the words had tumbled out of my mouth until afterwards.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for…" I paused for a second, burying my face in my hands. I threw formality out the window, screwing any sense of dignity. I was tired and- thank Selene- my father was not sitting outside the door. That privilege was reserved for the Rose, the Icicle, and the Cat. They had all seen my worst. I didn't need to worry about looking proper in front of them. "But I am hypersensitive to the fact that I am clearly crashing under the pressure. I can't keep doing this forever, but I can't keep endangering the others. My life is already screwed up. I can't condemn them to this." I lifted my head, turning my head towards the general to indicate I was listening to him.

I could feel them from the other side of the door, eyes closing as if in pain. He was sitting against the door, leaning backwards. His breath had caught in his throat, fists clenching angrily. I could almost hear her whimper as she heard my words. Her heartbeat dropped, thrumming lowly like a guitar string. She was surprisingly calm in the face of the fact that she was about to confront me again. The other was lying down, face buried beneath midnight paws.

"But they want only to help you," he pleaded, trying to make me understand where he was coming from. Now, I didn't doubt his logic. It made sense. But there were driving factors more important than logic at the moment.

"This isn't about what they want. This is about keeping them alive," I quickly retorted, fighting the small waves of anger. Now that Jupiter had awoken that would be just one more person to protect.

"Do not think them so weak that they'll die," he protested, still trying to reason with me.

Bad bartering chip.

"I saw Mamoru die before my very eyes." All the auras around me flinched at the statement, each one bearing some trace of disappointment at themselves. "That's what started all this shit," I responded, not sparing my language for the occasion. "He died protecting me. You can't say that to me."

Jadeite paused for a moment before wisely choosing another tangent for the conversation to follow. "You cannot keep pushing them away lest you do not have them when you truly need them." Jadeite moved closer to me, kneeling down to my level as if to look me in the eyes. A sign of longed comprehension, of equality. Not that I could have seen it, but the sentiment was there. He was truly trying to connect with me, trying to drive his words home. But why?!

"If they continue to follow me then they will surely die. You know what they do! You remember what you've done!" Jadeite fingered the black ribbon around my eyes, pulling it down. "Or even worse, they'll end up like this, perhaps with something else gone." I choked on my breath, voice clogging at the thought of my friends hurt like this.

"Usagi, let them help you," he gently insisted. But how could I? What if they all got hurt or they died?! I couldn't live with that on my hands again. I couldn't live with all that blood on my head! They would all be dead because of me, because I couldn't stop them from dying!

I couldn't stand being their killer!

I would not let them die.

I would not kill them.

"And why should I? Sitting outside is one of the senshi who betrayed me. She let Rei attack me, did nothing to stop it." Ami's heart rate picked up, her breathing as well. "You want me to rely on people who could turn around and try to kill me again?" My tone turned accusing and I couldn't help but let the vehemence slip out.

"But she has obviously come to beg for your forgiveness. As Mamoru explained, this would be the second time. She is clearly repentant." Jadeite advised sagely, still looking at me earnestly.

Selene, what did she want from me?! She abandoned me! She did nothing to save me from Rei's flames, would have let me die if she could have! And yet here she was, begging forgiveness... What did she want? I couldn't even argue with myself, simply tired of the debate. I just didn't know what to do with Ami. Or with Rei.

What is wrong that I still hoped that they would come back?

I knew in my heart that I could never trust them again, that there would always be a wall between us. I could never fight next to them without worrying for my safety. But I wanted them just to be my side again.

But that could never realistically happen.

"Why do you care so much? Why are you telling me all of these things when I should be your enemy?" I finally asked after a few seconds of silence. This was all just so unreasonable and confusing! Why did he care what happened to me? He'd just met me!

"I don't know, but there is some sense in me that compels me towards you. It's as if…I know you, I remember you, but I can't put the name to the face." He looked at me, genuinely confused.

"Do you remember me from the Silver Millennium? Did I exist back then?" I slid off my bed, sitting in front of him. I drew my knees up below my chin, staring at him. Hugging my legs to my chest, I waited expectantly. Jadeite seemed to answer all my questions easy enough, seemed to know all about Silver Millennium. His heartbeat rose a bit, becoming uneven and nervous. Oh, the eyes must have been making him uncomfortable. Apparently they did that now.

I reached up to my face, moving to raise the ribbon again. His hand deftly stopped mine, gently removing my fingers from the cloth. "Your eyes are not the cause of the distress you undoubtedly sensed. I do not mind them." I blinked in surprise, a reflexive habit that hadn't altogether died yet. It was interesting how he already deduced that I could sense his distress, how he knew immediately what was making me uncomfortable. It was as if he did know me, knew things a close friend would know.

"It is just because I did not know you in the Silver Millennium. You did not exist in the Silver Millennium as far as I am aware." I blinked, taken aback briefly. I hadn't existed in Silver Millennium? Did that mean something? Was I not supposed to exist? Was this personal hell not even supposed to happen? "Sailor Moon didn't exist either as far as I know. The moon had no senshi."

I was silent for a few moments, still in complete shock. Then where had these powers come from? Why was I the one fated to be Sailor Moon? Don't get me wrong, being Sailor Moon more often than not could be hell. But it was MY hell. I would not be giving it up anytime soon and I wanted to know whether Jadeite was going to make good on his previous statement and take her away from me.

So many questions were churning around in my head, but in the end, the one that popped out of my mouth was unintended.

"Cur tanto opera confide?" I put my hand to my mouth in surprise. I hadn't meant for the Latin to tumble out, but it just sort of…did. Just like it had upon seeing Makoto for the first time. It was like swearing to Selene, it was instinctual, somehow a twisted part of being Sailor Moon. Jadeite seemed to be equally as startled, his face showing classic signs of surprise.

"Then why do I trust you so much?" I amended, still choking down the nervousness that had unsettled me. Something inexplicably drew me towards him, urged me to continue speaking with him. Something was telling me to trust him, but why? It was as if he was one of my senshi, one of my close friends that I could rely on.

Had I fallen into the depths of insanity? I was trusting the man who had ripped off all my hair, nearly killed me on a number of equations, had nearly killed Mamoru. With these new powers, I wasn't sure how long this transformation of his would last, if it would last at all. He could turn into his regular cutthroat self at any moment. Why was I talking to him?

* * *

><p>~Jadeite's POV~<p>

"Cur tanto opera confide?" I drew back slightly, surprised that she could speak Latin. Latin had originally been the language of the Moon, but it had begun to die out on Earth when civilization on the Moon had collapsed. To know it, she would have to be Lunarian for sure… or could she have somehow learned it again on Earth. I would have thought it impossible for someone of her intellectual level though. Second languages were not usually mastered so well by one so young.

But then she put her hand to her mouth, showing her equal sign of surprise. It had been unintended? I watched her with some sense of fascination. For her to unconsciously know the language of the Moon. She had to be full blooded Lunarian, though I' m sure she knew that by now. Luna would have detected it after her healing abilities revealed themselves. But how? Who had she been during the Silver Millennium?

And why was Luna with her? She was the advisor to the princess. And they hadn't found the princess yet.

"Then why do I trust you so much?" She finally said, after a bit of a terse silence, falling back into her proper language. But for her to lapse into Lunarian like that, perhaps she even knew some of the old language if she was full blooded.

Then the question caught up to me, the words sinking in. It was rather strange, why she trusted me. She seemed to be so hesitant to let down her guards around the outside world, around those like her father, yet here she was completely normal.

"I don't know." I paused for a second, before speaking again. "But if you know Lunarian, then you must be from there. You do bear a resemblance to the late Princess Serenity, less so now that you've lost your hair unfortunately. Perhaps you were a relative of hers. Though the only ones I truly knew were Serenity and her mother," I added more an afterthought. But I knew her somehow. I knew Usagi.

_"None of us have any memories from our past lives. If we did, we would be able to find the princess."_

Usagi was the guardian of the moon, when there had been none before. She had to have been important to have earned that position. And she had originally bore the signature hairstyle of the princess, a style I had never seen anyone except her mother wear. And she could speak the dead Lunarian language even when she had no learning.

_"Wait you **STILL** don't know where she is? Isn't Princess Ami able to find her? Her readings should be off the charts!"_

She had healed me and the others when no one had been able to do that. And she trusted me when she had no reason to, when she seemed to barely trust others. I trusted her, but I had never really known anyone from the moon except for Serenity and her mother. And Luna was here, the advisor to the rulers of the Moon.

_"But Usagi's energy is interfering with the scans apparently."_

Could it be that…

Usagi was Princess Serenity?


End file.
